


Tales from Primp Town

by ProspectPyxis



Category: Puyo Puyo (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chatting & Messaging, F/F, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2020-09-05 21:54:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 39,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20280418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProspectPyxis/pseuds/ProspectPyxis
Summary: Primp Town wasn't expecting a new resident, but Amitie had just moved into the strange town. Unbeknownst to the people of Primp and Amitie herself, this would eventually bring them on an adventure that none involved would believe to be so grand.





	1. Chapter 1: A New Day, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all! I've been interested in Puyo Puyo lore for a while now, and I've been reading a lot of fan content everywhere. Now, I decided to finally make my own take on things. Hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new girl arrives in the town of Primp. She's almost immediately welcomed by two other residents. Hopefully, this start of a new life will be kind to her.

"Amitie…"  
It was some time during the evening, and it was raining softly. A small, white car was parked outside a small house.  
"Amitie, dear, wake up!"  
"...mmm…"  
A blonde girl who's been sleeping in the back of the car stirred, then got up. In front of the car was another woman, looking very similar to Amitie and not looking much older.  
"...are we here, mom?"  
"Yes, we've arrived."  
Amitie took a good look at what would be her new home. It really wasn't much to look at - it was a small house with two floors, and it seems that no one has lived there for a while, as evidenced by the peeling paint on the walls and the dust coating the floor inside.  
"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said this place wouldn't be luxurious…"  
"I know, dear, but this is the best that I can do."  
"And I'm thankful, mom…I really am…"  
There was a bit of silence for a few seconds.  
"The moving truck hasn't arrived yet. Let's wait in the car until they come, alright?"  
"Alright…"  
Amitie then pulled out her phone and started playing some games. It would be a while before their things arrive.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**A Puyo Puyo Fanfiction**  
**Chapter 1: A New Day, Part 1**

* * *

About an hour later, their moving truck arrived, containing all their furniture, clothes, and other supplies. There wasn't much in there, but it was enough for Amitie and her mother. The rain had subsided now, so both of them took the time to start moving things inside.  
Meanwhile, another girl was walking down the road. She was dressed in an orange and yellow dress, had pink, curled hair, and was wearing a small pouch on her.  
"...huh? Are those cars?"  
She walked a bit closer, trying to get a good look at it.  
"Seems to be a moving truck…isn't this the house that hadn't had anyone living in it for years now? Wonder why anyone would move here…" She said to herself.  
"Raffina!"  
Another girl ran up to the pink haired one. She wore a green dress that covered her arms entirely and had green hair curled into buns. Little horns seemed to be poking out of her hair, and she had oddly long ears as well.  
"Ah, Lidelle! What are you doing here?"  
"I-I was just wondering where you were! What are you d-doing here?"  
"I was just walking when I spotted some cars in the old house. See those?" Raffina pointed to said house.  
"Y-yeah...are they moving in?"  
"Looks like it. I wonder why they would take such a dinky, old house!"  
"M-maybe that's all they could afford?"  
Raffina sighed. "I guess. Hey, should we go greet them? It's not often this town gets new people."  
"S-sure!"  
And the two walked towards the house together.

* * *

**_"Here I go!"_  
Sweet Red Girl  
Amitie Rosalia**

* * *

Amitie was walking out of the house to get something else to move in when she noticed two girls walking towards her. Once Lidelle saw that Amitie had seen them, she awkwardly waved as they approached.  
"H-hey there!" Lidelle cheerfully said.  
"Uh...hello?" Amitie responded. She wasn't sure what to make of these two yet, having only just met them.  
"Hey there. Are you new in town?" Raffina piped up.  
"Y-yeah...who are you two?" Amitie asked.  
"I'm Raffina, and she's Lidelle."  
"W-we were walking by a n-noticed you, so we wanted to say hi!"  
"I'm Amitie…nice to meet you?"  
"Y-yeah! Nice to meet you!" Lidelle said, hiding her face a bit.  
"Say, Amitie, why did you choose to move here? There's a lot of better places in this town than this old house, you know!" Raffina suddenly said.  
"R-Raffina!" Lidelle yelled at her.  
Suddenly, both of them noticed that Amitie's expression had gone dark.  
"Oh, crap...did I hit a sensitive spot? Sorry…"  
"You s-shouldn't say stuff like that, Raffina…especially to someone you just met..." Lidelle said. "M-maybe they d-didn't have any other choice…"  
"It's fine, you two…I just don't want to talk about it now…" Amitie finally said.  
There was then a bit of awkward silence.  
"H-hey…you look about our age…are you gonna be g-going to school?" Lidelle asked, trying to break the silence.  
"Yeah, I am…I'll be going to this place called Primp Magic School once it opens back up." Amitie answered.  
"Primp Magic School? That's where we study!" Raffina suddenly shouted.  
"We m-might be getting a new classmate, Raffina!" Lidelle said, suddenly hugging Raffina.  
Another bit of awkward silence ensued.  
"Uhhh...Lidelle, please get off me."  
"Oh! Uh, s-sorry!" She quickly let go, covering her face with her sleeves again.  
Amitie was just confused at the scene unfolding before her. As if on cue, her mother walked out of the house, spotting the three girls chatting.  
"Oh, Amitie! Making some new friends already?"  
"Yeah, I guess I am…"  
"Oh, hello! Are you her sister?" Raffina asked, noticing the blonde woman.  
Amitie just stared at her.  
"W-what?"  
"Raffina…she's my mom…"  
"WHAT!?" Both Raffina and Lidelle yelled in shock.  
"Hahaha! Glad to know I still look young!"  
"Oh, dear…" Amitie said, facepalming.  
_How the heck does she look so young?_ Raffina thought to herself, bewildered.  
"S-sorry if we're intruding, Ms. Amitie's mom! W-we saw the cars and wanted to say hi!" Lidelle said.  
"Oh, no need to be so formal! Just call me Mary!" The woman, now identified as Mary, responded.  
"A-alright, Ms. Mary."  
Suddenly, one of the movers called out. "Ms. Rosalia? Everything's been moved in."  
"Ah! Thank you, sir!" Mary called back.  
At this, Raffina took a look through the window, trying to see what they had…and was very surprised when there were barely five boxes, along with a few pieces of furniture.  
"Amitie...Ms. Mary…are those all you really have?"  
"R-Raffina! What did I just say!?" Lidelle admonished.  
"Oh, uh…yes. It's enough for us to live, at least!" Mary answered. Meanwhile, Amitie's expression had gotten dark again.  
"Oh. I did it again. S-sorry again, Amitie." Raffina apologized.  
"I-it's alright…"  
"Oh, Amitie. It's getting late, you should begin moving all your things to your room now!" Mary called out.  
"Y-yes, mom. Coming!"  
"W-wait!" Lidelle called. "Do you w-want us to take you around town tomorrow?"  
"Oh? Uh…is it okay, mom?"  
"Sure! It's important to bond with your new friends now, after all!"  
"Alright, then I'll take the offer."  
"Hm...sure, I'm up for it!" Raffina stated.  
"A-alright! I'll come see you tomorrow, then!" Lidelle said.  
"Alright! See you later, both of you!" Amitie called to both of them as they began to walk away, looking a bit more cheerful. Then, she walked inside to prepare her room.

* * *

**_"Don't blink!"_  
Pretty Golden Girl  
Raffina Amaryllis**

* * *

It was a few hours later. Amitie had finished moving everything into her room, then had dinner that was just...a cup of instant noodles.  
_It's good and all, but I hope we get to eat something else soon…_ She complained to herself. She was sitting in front of a small table, and on the table was a notebook and a pen. Sighing, Amitie picked up the pen and began writing.

_15/4/2018_  
_Hey, diary. Today's my first day in Primp Town. Now don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that we moved away from…that place…but I still miss our old house. It's really too bad that we had to abandon a lot of things that we had…_  
_Oh well. I arrived in the evening, and already I've made two friends - their names are Raffina and Lidelle. Raffina seems…a bit snobbish, honestly, with the way she dresses, but she's not overly rude. Lidelle seems to be shy, but she's really kind. She even offered to take me on a tour around town tomorrow!_  
_Already, people here are being much kinder than people from my old place. I…_  
_I just hope it's not all a front._  
_I'm beginning to get tired. I'll write more later, diary._

After writing that last sentence, Amitie placed her pen down and closed the book. She turned off the lights, headed to her bed and immediately went face down on it.

_I hope this place is as kind as I'm seeing it now…_ She thought to herself as she drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too long of a first chapter. Just setting the stage for the future to come.  
I have a ton of other thoughts about this story, but while it'll fit here in its entirety, I'm putting it in a Google Docs for the sake of not eating up space. You can read my full thoughts [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yb7CGOi0mqT-e8dlFPs5xam05BfNZm3kx6Xgs01AFDc/edit?usp=sharing).  
One last thing not in that doc, I don't have a solid upload schedule yet. For now, I'll be posting chapters as they come while keeping some buffers, so that I don't go too long without a new chapter.  
That's it for now. Feel free to leave a kudos and criticize. See you next chapter!
> 
> EDIT 19/8/2019: I decided to retcon the year into an actual year rather than just 20XX. Nothing much other than that.


	2. Chapter 2: A New Day, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lidelle and Raffina takes Amitie to see the town, starting with a famous candy store. Also, Raffina, after her faux pas yesterday, has an idea for a present…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was planning to wait a bit before posting the next chapter, but I decided to accelerate the posting pace a bit for now. I still have a couple buffer chapters, so I shouldn't be in too much trouble.  
Nevertheless, enjoy Chapter 2!

"...mmm...mhh…"  
Raffina stirred in her bed before sitting up. It was clearly still dark outside.  
"...ugh...what time is it?"  
She checked her clock. 1:32AM.  
"...why do I always wake up around this time now? Stupid nightmares…"  
She fell back down and tried to catch as much sleep as she could. Usually, she couldn't sleep much after waking up in the middle of the night like this, but it was always worth a try.

* * *

**Tales From Primp Town**  
**Chapter 2: A New Day, Part 2**

* * *

Amitie woke up, stretching. Her clock showed that it was 8:59AM.  
_Ah...that...was the best sleep I've had in a long while…_ She thought to herself as she got up to take a shower.  
After she was done, it was time for her to dress up. She didn't have much, but the clothes were simple enough to just work. She eventually decided on a plain blue shirt and a pair of pink shorts. She'd take her pink jacket too, but it was in the middle of summer, so that was probably a bad idea.  
_Eh, not too bad._  
Once she had dressed up, she went downstairs for breakfast. She noticed a cup of instant noodles set on the table, but Mary was nowhere to be seen. As she walked closer to the table, she spotted a note in Mary's handwriting.  
_I've already left for work. The instant noodles are for you. Have fun with your friends and don't forget to lock the door! -Mom_  
_Right. She told me she already had a job ready. I just hope she doesn't overwork herself…_ Thought Amitie as she went to eat her meal. _And I guess we still don't have money for anything other than this stuff…_  
Right as she was about to finish, however, the doorbell rang. "Amitie! We're here!" a voice called out.  
_Ah, that must be Raffina. I'm guessing Lidelle's there with her, too._ "C-coming!" Amitie responded as she hurried to finish what was left of the noodles, then she ran to open the door.  
"Oh, hey guys!" Amitie said cheerfully, seeing her two new friends. "Sorry to keep you waiting a bit. I kinda, um, woke up late, haha…"  
"I-it's okay. Raffina woke up a bit late, too." Lidelle said.  
"L-Lidelle!"  
"W-what?"  
"She doesn't need to know that…" Raffina said, pouting.  
Amitie simply giggled at the interaction. "It's fine, Raffina! No problem in waking up late during summer break!" She then spoke.  
Raffina continued pouting for a while, until she looked up and actually saw Amitie. She suddenly had an odd expression on her.  
"W-what, Raffina?" Amitie said, suddenly nervous.  
"Are those clothes…all you have?"  
"Um…yeah, I only brought a few simple clothes…and my favorite pink jacket, but it's the middle of summer right now…"  
Raffina suddenly laughed.  
"R-Raffina! Don't laugh at her!" Lidelle scolded.  
"Hahaha! No, I'm not laughing to embarrass her!"  
Amitie was noticeably confused at this point. "H-huh?"  
"What I'm saying is, today we _have_ to head over to the fashion store and buy some new clothes!"  
"W-wah!?" Amitie exclaimed. "But R-Raffina, I barely have any money!"  
"I never said you have to pay. Consider it my treat! Ho ho ho ho!"  
Lidelle simply seemed surprised at this. Amitie's eyes, however, lit up with excitement. "R-really?"  
"Yep, really! Consider it a housewarming gift!"  
"Thanks, Raffina! You're the best!" Amitie yelled, suddenly hugging Raffina.  
…  
"Amitie...please get off…"  
"Oh. Sorry!" Amitie sheepishly said as she got back up. However, Lidelle suddenly seemed to be looking away.  
"Hey, Lidelle? Are you okay?" Raffina asked.  
"O-oh. Y-yes, I'm fine." Lidelle answered. "S-shall we go now?"  
"Ah, right. Are you ready, Amitie?"  
"Yeah! Let's go!" cheered Amitie.

* * *

"So…what's our first stop?" Amitie asked, her voice full of curiosity.  
"Lemres's Sweets Corner! That place has the best sweets you'll find in all of Primp, and the owner is…well..." Raffina explained.  
"H-he's a bit odd, but he's a very kind person!" Lidelle elaborated.  
"Huh, starting with snacks? I like it!" Amitie said cheerfully, following Raffina and Lidelle. "Let's go!"  
Not too long after, they arrived at the store. The sign above the store clearly said "Lemres's Sweets Corner", with a picture of a green wizard hat with stars and candy on it on the left. In front, another song displayed various menu items.  
"Whoa…" Amitie exclaimed in delight. "Wow, look at these menu items…a triple scoop ice cream…"  
"Amitie, you can have it once we get in. Let's go!" Raffina called.  
"R-right!" Amitie then followed Raffina and Lidelle in.  
Inside, a man seemed to be cleaning the counter in front of him. His eyes seemed to be closed, yet once the three girls entered, he looked up to them without any hesitation.  
"Ah, hello, girls!" He said in a calm, smooth voice. "And who's this girl here? I haven't seen her around before."  
"H-hi, Mr. Lemres!" Lidelle greeted. "This girl is Amitie. S-she moved to this town yesterday!"  
"Hello, sir!" Amitie cheerfully greeted as well.  
"Ah, a new resident! Welcome, welcome! Why don't you three have a seat, then? Take a look at the menu and see what you want~"  
"Triple scoop strawberry ice cream!" Amitie immediately yelled out.  
"It'll be ready within a few minutes!~" Lemres responded. "Now, as for you girls…?"

* * *

** _"Don't be afraid."_ **  
**The Comet Warlock**  
**Lemres Doyle**

* * *

A few minutes later, and all their orders had arrived. Raffina had ordered a chocolate and vanilla sundae, and Lidelle simply got a couple of blueberry muffins. Amitie was already digging into her ice cream.  
"W-wow! This is delicious!" She exclaimed.  
"As I said, Lemres is basically unrivaled here, whether it be baked goodies, ice cream, or sweets!" Said Raffina.  
Suddenly, Lemres came over to their table and put down a few wrapped candies. It seemed to be chocolate flavored, judging from the label on the wrapping. "Hello, girls. Enjoying your meals?"  
"Yep! This is absolutely delicious, Mr. Lemres!" Amitie said before continuing to chow down on her ice cream.  
"Glad to hear it. Oh, and these candies are on the house, by the way~"  
"Wow. Thank you so much!"  
"Oh, r-right, Amitie!" Lidelle suddenly spoke up. "We didn't just bring you here f-for the snacks!"  
"Hm?" Amitie said. Her mouth was still full of ice cream, so she couldn't really speak without spilling it all over.  
"Right. He's also known as the comet warlock here!" Raffina added.  
"T-the comet warlock!?" Amitie shouted in surprise. Thankfully, she already swallowed the ice cream in her mouth. "That…sounds really cool!"  
Lemres simply laughed for a bit before speaking. "Yes, that is one of my titles. Asides from making sweets, I'm also a very powerful magic user, if I may brag slightly~ In fact, I also take some magical power from the candies I make!~"  
"Whoa…" Amitie was amazed. "I wanna be a really strong magic user, too…"  
"Huh. Is that your dream, Amitie?" Raffina asked, now curious.  
"You bet!" Amitie stated, puffing up proudly. "I may be a bit clumsy right now, but I wanna be really strong so I can fight and defend myself!"  
"W-wow…" Lidelle said. "D-do you have any specific type of magic you're i-interested in?"  
"Uhm…not really. I know a few basic spells, like the most basic fire and ice magic, but I don't really have one type of magic in mind."  
"Ah, that's quite alright." Lemres spoke. "Not everyone has to focus their spells within one category. In fact, I do not, myself."  
This only made Amitie stare at him in admiration more. "W-wow…you're really cool, Mr. Lemres!"  
"Hahaha…just Lemres is fine!~" Lemres said, right before the door to the store opened. "Ah, it seems I have another customer I have to tend to…enjoy the rest of the meal, alright?"  
"Of course, Lemres!" Raffina said as Lemres left to take care of another customer, leaving the girls to their own devices.

* * *

"That...was...delicious!" Amitie exclaimed. They had already finished eating and left the store, but she was obviously still enjoying the taste of her ice cream...and she seemed to be on a bit of a sugar high now, too. "So…where to next?"  
"Well, how about we go shopping for your clothes now? We still have plenty of time before lunch, and we also just ate." Raffina suggested.  
"Sounds like a plan!"  
"H-hey, Dapper's store is just over there!" Lidelle said, pointing to another store. The sign up top had "Dapper" written in black cursive letters on a white background, with a cartoonish skeleton head drawn to the right.  
"Ah, right. I suppose that'll do. Let's go, Amitie!" Raffina stated before beginning to walk over.  
The inside of the store just looked like a simple fashion store. There were several mannequins wearing various shirts, with several piles of folded clothes and clothes that were hung on various racks. Nevertheless, it was enough to impress Amitie.  
"Wow...are you sure I can get anything here, Raffina?" She asked, trying to get confirmation.  
"Yep! Feel free to pick out what you like!" Raffina confirmed to her. At this, Amitie immediately began to dig through the various racks.  
After a while, the back door suddenly opened, and a skeleton walked out. He seemed to be draped in a clock that's red on the inside and blue on the outside. He also seemed to be wearing some of the clothing that could be found in the store, and it's the more flamboyant looking ones, too. Once the skeleton noticed the three girls, he immediately greeted them. "Ah, Raffina! What brings you to my store?"  
"Hey, Oshare." Raffina greeted back. "We made a new friend yesterday, and…well...let's just say her clothes are lacking."  
Lidelle quietly facepalmed but said nothing. _She's always a bit too honest…_ She thought to herself.  
"Oh, uh…hi! You're…a skeleton." Amitie said, suddenly poking her head out from behind a clothes rack.  
"Ah, I've never seen you in here before! Are you perhaps this friend Raffina is talking about?" The skeleton said.  
"Y-yeah. Hello, mister…"  
"Dapper. Dapper Bones. But you can also call me Oshare, if you wish!" he said, giving a hearty laugh. "Now...would it be okay if I recommend something for you, miss?"  
"I'm Amitie! And yes, sure!" Amitie quickly said, before walking out from behind the rack.  
There was a bit of awkward silence as Dapper quietly examined her.  
"...your clothes are…really plain." He eventually stated simply.  
"Hehe, yeah, it's all I brought here…I also have a pink jacket I wear when it's cold, but it's the middle of summer right now, so…" Amitie awkwardly said.  
"This won't do at all...wait here, miss. I'll get something that'll compliment your looks _beautifully~_" Dapper went into a bit of a falsetto at the last word, before walking off and looking through various racks.

* * *

** _"Prepare yourself."_ **  
**Fancy Flamboyance**  
**Dapper Bones**

* * *

Amitie decided to strike up a conversation with the other two girls while she waited.  
"Say...if his name is Dapper Bones, where did Oshare come from?"  
"A-apparently it means something close to 'beautiful' in another language. His old boyfriend called him that and it just…stuck." Lidelle answered.  
"...his _boyfriend?_ Huh. Wouldn't have thought he swung that way."  
"...did you not notice how flamboyant he dresses, Amitie? Or his rainbow armband?" Raffina piped up. "He's gay and he's proud of it."  
"Oh. Uh…yeah, that would explain it, hehe…" Amitie put her hand to her hair sheepishly. "And no, I really didn't notice the rainbow armband amidst all that…also, you said old boyfriend, Lidelle?"  
"Y-yeah. Back when he was still alive. They apparently b-broke up peacefully as they realized it w-wouldn't work out."  
"Oshare's pretty friendly with us, so we know quite a bit about him." Raffina added.  
"I see…" Amitie quietly said. _The people of this town really are pretty interesting…first, a magic user that uses candy, and now a gay skeleton running a fashion store…I've actually never seen a skeleton in my old city!_ She thought to herself.  
Finally, Dapper returned with a few shirts and some shorts. "Here you go, miss! Feel free to try them out and see how you feel about them~"  
"Thank you, Mr. Dapper!" Amitie cheered, then went in the changing room.  
After a while, she opened the door and walked out. Amitie was now wearing a pink sleeveless shirt with floral patterns on it. A small cartoon skull was drawn on the chest, similar to the one on the sign out front - she figured that was Dapper's signature symbol. She also wore a pair of loose, red shorts and was also wearing a dark yellow belt. "H-how do I look?"  
"Much better than what you had before!~" Dapper exclaimed with delight.  
"I'll have to agree with Oshare, Amitie. You look _good!_" Raffina said.  
"That's…pretty…" Lidelle quietly said.  
"Hehe, thanks, everyone!" Amitie stated, then suddenly turned towards a hat rack, noticing something. "Hey, Mr. Dapper?"  
"Yes, miss?"  
"Do you think one of those beanies would complement this well?"  
"Hm…I'm actually not sure! Why don't you pick one and try it out?"  
At that, Amitie then walked over to check the various beanies hanging on a rack. She checked each of them slowly…until she noticed a red one that had eyes.  
"Huh…this one looks interesting…" Amitie said, pulling the hat off the rack. "Looks like a red puyo…"  
She took a good look at it, along with Raffina and Lidelle, who was watching…when the hat blinked.  
"WAH!?" All the girls exclaimed in shock.  
"Ah, that beanie…I believe it was part of a massive order of emotive accessories that I bought." Dapper explained.  
"E-emotive accessories?" Amitie said in surprise.  
"Yes. Simply put, they copy your own expressions. They were a fad for a while, but even now, certain people still wear them. It...really depends whether it works for each person, but why don't you try it out?" Suggested Dapper.  
"Alright, then…here I go…" Amitie said, putting the hat on.  
There was a bit of silence after she did.  
"...hm...it looks nice, but I’m afraid the beanie doesn’t exactly match the rest of your outfit’s summer look..." Dapper said.  
"I agree. It still looks nice, though." Raffina stated.  
"I l-like it!" Lidelle said, smiling.  
"Eheh...thank you so much!" Amitie smiled as well at the compliment. On cue, her hat took on a happy expression with its eyes. "You guys are right, though. A beanie wouldn’t suit the summer w…wha?" She suddenly exclaimed as she noticed her new beanie beginning to glow.  
"O-Oshare, why is it glowing…?" Raffina asked, worried.  
"I…don't know…I've never seen anything of mine do this before…" Dapper said, as surprised as Raffina.  
"W-we gotta get it off!" Lidelle yelled before trying to dive for the hat...but then, it began to change shape. Everyone watched in equal parts curiosity and excitement….  
Until eventually, the hat had morphed into a hair clip.  
"Huh." Amitie said, taking it off to look at it. "It…still looks like a red puyo."  
"...wow. I've…never seen anything do that before." Dapper quickly stated.  
Both Raffina and Lidelle were simply stunned at what they just saw. _A changing accessory?_ They both thought.  
"Hm...but I suppose it still fits you. I'll have to study this…"morphing accessory" more…" Dapper said. "Tell you what, actually - normally, emotive accessories are…quite expensive, but since I've never seen any accessory do that, I'm allowing a discount for it. Consider it a gift for letting me find out that it shapeshifts!" He then laughed again.  
"Wow...everyone's being so generous today! Thank you, Mr. Dapper!" Amitie said cheerfully.  
Raffina smiled slightly before asking, "Alright, I guess we know what you'll be buying now, then…I'm paying for her, Oshare. How much is it?"  
"Ah, right. You still have to pay for the rest of the clothes, of course…let's see, the shirt is about…and this one is…"  
Amitie smiled as she carefully put her hair clip back on.  
_Everyone's being so kind…I guess this place really is better than my old home…_ She happily thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And in this chapter, we introduce Lemres and Dapper "Oshare" Bones! We're still in the "character introduction" phase of the story, so it'll be a bit slow right now. I hope it isn't too boring!  
I was debating whether to split this chapter into two or not, but in the end, I decided to keep them as one. I'm still experimenting with chapter length, so let me know what you think!
> 
> I very much prefer Lemres's English voice over his Japanese once. He's goddamn _smooth._  
Yes, I'm very much aware that Oshare means "fashionable" in Japanese. I decided to appropriate the meaning a bit so that the story would flow nicely.  
Yes, a few characters will have changed appearances. This isn't out of thinking the character outfits are bad or anything, I just wanted something unique for them here.  
I'm also very much aware that Dapper's personality and backstory has been changed here. I decided to do this for the sake of the story and make him meld better with the other characters. Definitely let me know what you think of him here!


	3. Chapter 3: A Bluish Purple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The town trip continues, as the girls went sightseeing some more. As they go, they run into a couple of familiar faces.

"Hey, Raffina?"  
"Yeah, Amitie?"  
"I just realized…is that pink hair natural?"  
"Absolutely not! I dye my hair once a month. Gotta keep myself pretty!"  
"Y-yeah…pretty…" Lidelle suddenly whispered.  
"Hm? Did you say something, Lidelle?"  
"N-no! It's n-nothing, Raffina!" Lidelle said, looking away and covering her face with her sleeve again.  
"If you say so…"  
Amitie didn't say anything. She definitely didn't hear Lidelle whispering at all.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 3: A Bluish Purple**

* * *

The next hour or so went by uneventfully. After leaving the fashion store (and changing back to her old clothes first, of course), the girls went sightseeing for a bit longer before heading for lunch at a small Italian restaurant.  
"Mmm...this is the best food I've had in a while…" Said Amitie, eating some spaghetti carbonara. "Much better than what I've been eating these last few days…"  
"Hm?" Raffina asked, now curious.  
"Oh yeah…I haven't had anything but instant noodles these past few days."  
"WHAT!?" "W-wha!?" Both Raffina and Lidelle exclaimed.  
"Guys...you should already know that we're not doing good on money right now…" Amitie said, her expression getting a bit somber.  
"S-sorry! I'm just w-worried…that doesn't seem healthy…" Lidelle said.  
"Wow...do you want me to buy some groceries for you, too? You need food other than noodles, you know!" Raffina offered.  
"I-it's fine, Raffina. You've already given me a lot of things." Amitie answered. "Besides, my mom would probably be very upset that she let a girl my age buy groceries for her. And she really likes her instant noodles."  
"I-I see…" Raffina said, looking a bit amused. _Her mom sounds…quite interesting…_ She thought.  
After they were done with lunch, it was back on with the tour.  
"Oh, Amitie, I just realized I haven't asked this yet." Raffina suddenly said. "Which class are you gonna be in? I don't even know if we're actually in the same room, yet…"  
"Oh, um, I'm gonna be in…the Intensive General Magic class, so I think that was…5/1?" Amitie answered.  
"Oh good! That _is_ our class!" Raffina exclaimed in delight.  
"S-so we _are_ getting a new classmate…" Lidelle said happily.  
"Anyways...where to now?" Amitie asked once again.  
"H-how about we head to the library?" Lidelle suggested. "You might get to see Akuma, t-too."  
"Right, it's on the same street as Primp School, too, so it'll help you in not getting lost!" Raffina added.  
"Ooooh...who's Akuma?" Amitie inquired.  
"H-he's the curator of the library." Lidelle explained. "Actually, t-the place doubles as both a library and a museum. There's q-quite a few artifacts on display."  
"Whoa…" Amitie whispered.  
"Oh, and he's a demon." Raffina chimed in.  
"A-a demon!?" Amitie said, shocked.  
"D-don't worry! He's very kind!" Lidelle tried to reassure her. "B-but he can be a bit strict…"  
"Lidelle, I'm not worried!" Amitie exclaimed. "I'm about to see a _demon_ for the first time! I'm excited!"  
"O-oh."  
Raffina said nothing, but she was thinking. _She's never seen a demon before? Thinking about it, I don't think she's seen a skeleton before Oshare, either…_  
"Actually, Amitie…where did you move here from?" She finally asked.  
"O-oh...I...came from Recel City." Amitie answered.  
"Huh." Raffina simply said. "I actually don't know a lot about that city…how was it?"  
Amitie's expression suddenly got much darker. "I-I don't wanna talk about it right now…"  
"Oh. I-it's fine, Amitie. I shouldn't have tried to dig." Raffina apologized, realizing that she hit a sore spot again.  
Once again, there was an awkward silence among the group.  
"S-so...should we get going now?" Lidelle eventually said.  
"Y-yeah. Let's." Raffina answered, and began to walk. The others quickly followed.  
Not too long after, the three had headed onto what seems to be another street.  
"So, right about now, we should be getting close to…ah, there it is!" Raffina exclaimed, then pointed to a building.  
"So that's Primp Magic School…" Amitie said, slightly awestruck. "It's...bigger than I thought…"  
"I-it's not a very large place, actually." Lidelle piped up. "There aren't too many students, so a l-lot of us know each other."  
"It still seems big to me…"  
"Your old school must've been pretty small, then, Amitie…" Raffina said.  
"I guess it was." Amitie simply said, shrugging.  
There was another long stretch of silence as they walked.  
"H-hey, we're getting close to the library!" Lidelle eventually said, pointing at another building on their side of the road.  
"Ah, right. Let's go!" Raffina said as they finally approached their destination.

* * *

** _"W-well..."_ **  
**Shy Green Girl**  
**Lidelle Nemesia**

* * *

Amitie's jaw hung open.  
In front of the girls were a _massive_ library. The bookshelves were easily three times their heights combined.  
"W-wow…" She simply said in complete awe. "This is…big…"  
"This place gets that reaction a lot." Raffina explained. "This is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, library around."  
"H-hey, guys! We came here to meet Akuma, remember?" Lidelle tried to remind them.  
"Ah, r-right. You can check out the books here later, Amitie."  
"Yeah, alright." Amitie said, following them deeper in.  
As they walked, however, they began to hear two voices speaking. Raffina and Lidelle both seemed to recognize it.  
"...so if the puyos are stacked like this, where is the trigger?" A slightly shrill voice said.  
"Uh...here?" Said another voice, this one low and monotonous.  
"Wait...are those…?" Raffina questioned as they rounded the corner of a large bookshelf, coming into an area with several tables arranged. As they did, they saw two boys sitting at one of them. One wore a strange hat that looks like a sailor's cap and was dressed in all purple, while another had a light blue hair with two "antennas" sticking out of them and was wearing a plain t-shirt with a silhouette of some sort of beetle on it.  
"No, no, no! The trigger would be right here!" The purple one with a shrill voice said. "Okay, okay, let's just try this again…"  
"K-Klug! Sig!" Lidelle called out to them.  
"Oh. Hi, Lidelle. Hi, Wuffina." The blue one answered back.  
"It's _Raffina!_" Raffina shouted.  
"Sorry, Waffina." The one in blue said.  
_"Ugh…"_ Raffina said, holding her forehead.  
"Uh...who are these?" Amitie asked, obviously confused.  
“T-the one with blue hair is Sig, and t-the one dressed in purple is Klug.” Lidelle answered. “T-they’re our classmates, too.”  
“Hello, Lidelle. And hello there, _pink hair._” The purple one, Klug, said in a slightly condescending tone.  
“Hmph. What are you doing here, anyways?” Raffina asked, her tone now more condescending as well.  
“Well, I have been helping Sig here out with some lessons.” Klug responded. “He has been struggling to understand some puyo chains, so he asked me for my help, since _I’m_ obviously the genius of the class.” He continued, adjusting his glasses cockily.  
“Aww. Since when did you grow a heart and helped others, Klug?” Raffina said, her tone slightly sarcastic.  
“T-tch!” Klug said, suddenly looking defensive. However, he didn’t retaliate beyond that. “A-anyways...who’s that girl you got with you there?”  
“Oh, this is Amitie. She moved in yesterday.” Raffina said. “She’ll probably be our new classmate, too, so you _better_ be nice to her!”  
“Hmph. Since when did you grow a heart and care about someone?” Klug said, throwing her insult back at her face. However, his voice lacked any real edge.  
“T-tch!” Raffina said. Now she’s the one looking defensive. “You know I’ve been trying to be less of a bitch, Klug!”  
“Yeah, yeah. Making fun of you never gets old, though!” Klug said, smirking. “Anyways, hello there, Amitie. I am Klug, the prodigy of Primp School! Kya ha ha!”  
“H-hi, Klug…” Amitie responded, looking quite confused at what had just happened.  
“Hey, Amitie.” Sig suddenly said, looking a bit distracted at...something. He seems to be staring off into space.  
“Hello, Sig!” Amitie answered.  
“So, what brings you girls here, anyways?” Klug then asked.  
“W-we’re taking Amitie on a tour around town.” Lidelle answered. “We’re a-about to take Amitie to see Akuma.”  
“Ah. Well, good luck with that, I guess.” Klug simply said. “I, on the other hand, will have to continue teaching Sig about chains. Are you ready to continue, Sig?”  
Everyone then looked at Sig, who had fallen asleep.  
“Aw, COME ON!” Klug yelled, exasperated. “Sig, wake up! We’re not done!”  
“D-does he fall asleep that easily?” Amitie asked, a bit dumbfounded.  
“Y-yeah...he falls asleep really easily. Apparently he can’t sleep very well at n-night...” Lidelle explained.  
“So he catches up on his sleep during the day!” Klug yelled out, trying to shake Sig out of being asleep. “Come on, wake up!”  
“...huh?” Sig then said, opening his eyes.  
“Ugh...Sig, we’re not done with our lessons yet...are you ready to continue, now?”  
“Yeah. Sure.” Sig said, his voice monotone as usual.  
“Okay, okay...let’s start this from the top. The shape of GTR stacking goes like this…”  
“H-hey...we should probably get going now, you guys…” Lidelle said to the other two girls.  
“Yeah...let’s go, Amitie!” Raffina called out.  
“Coming!” Amitie said, following the two girls deeper inside.

* * *

** _"You challenging me!?"_ **  
**Genius Purple Boy**  
**Klug Clemantis**

* * *

_Knock, knock._  
The girls were now standing in front of a door, with Lidelle knocking on it. On the door, a sign saying “Curator’s Office” can be seen.  
“Who is it?” A voice came out from behind the door.  
“I-it’s Lidelle!” She answered. “I’m here with Raffina and a new person in town!”  
“Ah...then you’re with Amitie?” The voice responded.  
“W-wah!? How do you already know my name!?” Amitie shouted.  
“Hm hm hm...I know everything that goes on in this town, KUMAKUMA!” The voice said, suddenly yelling the last part. “Anyways, you may come in, KUMA!”  
“A-alright. Coming in!” Lidelle said, opening the door.  
Inside was a rustic, busy-looking office. There were shelves lined with what seemed to be documents, and there was even more paperwork on the table. Behind the table sat a dark blue, animate teddy bear wearing a monocle. The girls were sat on the other side on a large couch.  
“H-hello! You must be Mr. Akuma.” Amitie said.  
“Just Akuma is fine.” The teddy bear said. “As the others must have already told you, I am the curator of this library and museum.”  
“Also, he’s like everyone’s grandpa.” Raffina added.  
“Raffina, you should already know to **NOT CALL ME GRANDPA!**” Akuma suddenly yelled.  
“Eep!” Amitie jumped behind Lidelle, shocked at the sudden yelling. Raffina just giggled.  
“A-ahem. But yes, a lot of people consider me...emotional support, of sorts.” Akuma said. “Speaking of which, do not hesitate to come to me if you have any issues, KUMA!"  
"O-okay…" Amitie said, still trying to hide behind Lidelle.  
"A-Akuma...I think you're scaring her with the yelling…" Lidelle tried to say.  
"Ahem. Please excuse me for that. It's a habit I've gotten into." Said Akuma. "It's very useful for disciplining those who are loud while the library is busy, though, KUKUKUMA!”  
“U-um...Akuma?” Amitie finally worked up the courage to speak. “They told me this place is a museum, too, but I haven’t seen it yet…”  
“Right, right. The museum is in a separate area from the library entirely.” Akuma explained. “However, it’s unfortunately closed right now. We got some new artifacts and we’re undergoing renovations, KUMA!”  
“Aw, that’s a shame…” Amitie said, disappointed.  
“W-we could check it out later when it’s open again.” Lidelle said.  
“Oh, I’m afraid that’ll be a while, KUMA! According to our schedules, you’ll be back in school before it’s done!” Akuma said.  
“O-oh.” Lidelle said, now disappointed as well.  
There was a brief bit of silence.  
“Well, we...really only came here to let Amitie see some people in this town.” Raffina eventually said. “I think it’s time we get going.”  
“Y-yeah, that’s a good idea...we still have some more of the town to take her to...” Lidelle said, looking at a nearby grandfather clock. The time showed 3:14PM. Not that late, but still, Amitie was surprised that that much time had passed since their lunch.  
“W-wow...we spent this long in here?” Amitie said.  
“Well, the walk here was pretty long, too. It’s why none of us visits much.” Raffina said. “Except Klug. He walks here all the time.”  
“I-I see…” Amitie responded.  
“Ah, actually, Amitie.” Akuma suddenly called out. “Can I have a moment with you in private? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”  
“A-ah...alright, I guess…” Amitie said.  
“Well...we’ll be waiting outside, then. You know the way out, right?” Raffina asked.  
“Yeah, I think I’ve got it.” Answered Amitie.  
“A-alright! We’ll see you in a bit t-then, Amitie!” Lidelle said. She then got up, bowed slightly, then walked out. Raffina quickly followed.  
“So um...what is it, M...Akuma?” Amitie asked.  
“I...wanted to tell you the reason I knew it was you.” Akuma explained. “Truth is, while I really do know everything going on in town, I’m obviously not omniscient, KUMA! I have my sources, but even they aren’t that fast.”  
“So how do you know me?” Amitie followed up with another question.  
Akuma sighed, before finally speaking. “The truth is...your doctor talked to me.”  
“O-oh.” Amitie said, her expression darkening somewhat. “T-then you know about…?”  
“Yes, I do.” Akuma said.  
At this, Amitie sadly looked away before asking something. “Does my mom know? About you, I mean?”  
“Yes, she does.” Akuma simply answered. Amitie said nothing, still looking away.  
Akuma sighed before continuing, “Amitie...I understand that what you’re going through is very tough. But you've already shown yourself to be strong by not letting what happened stop you from making new friends.”  
Amitie laughed sardonically at that. "You have no idea how long it took for me to get to this point, Akuma." She then did a noncommittal shrug. "But I guess my cheerfulness beats out everything I went through."  
"And that's a good thing. Whether you know it or not, you're very strong already, MAMAKUMA!" Akuma paused for a bit, sighing. “Listen. Raffina wasn’t joking when she said I was everyone’s, ahem, grandpa. That term makes me feel old…” He said, eliciting a small giggle from Amitie. “Either way, if you ever need anything, do not be afraid to come to me, alright? I always lend an ear to those in need, KUMAKUMA!”  
“A-alright.” Amitie said, finally looking the demon bear in the face again. Her expression was now more melancholic. “Thank you so much, Mr. Akuma.”  
“Again, just Akuma is fine. Anything for the kindhearted spirits I know, KUMA!” Akuma responded.  
Amitie nodded, before speaking again. “I guess I’ll be going now.”  
“Very well. Take care of yourself, KUMAKUMA!” Akuma called out.  
“I will! Thank you again, Akuma!” Amitie called back as she left the office.  
As she walked back outside, her head was filled with many thoughts. Part of her feels ashamed about the reason she moved here, but another part was glad that she had someone else to confide in other than her therapist and her mother.  
_Even though I’m new here, everyone is so kind and welcoming...I’ve never seen true kindness like this before..._ Amitie thought to herself. She then stopped briefly, sighed wistfully, before continuing to walk out.  
While walking back, she went past the area with tables. Klug and Sig were still there.  
“Um...here.”  
“Good! You’re getting better! One more exercise, then. The puyos are arranged like this...”  
Amitie just smiled while looking at them.

* * *

“H-hey, Amitie!” Lidelle called out, spotting the blonde girl walking out of the library.  
“How’d the chat go?” Raffina asked.  
“Hey, guys! It was...nice, actually.” Amitie said. “He told me that he knew...why I moved here.” Her expression darkened slightly, but she still smiled and continued. “I’m not ready to tell you guys yet, but...it’s nice to have someone to talk to.”  
“T-that’s good!” Lidelle said happily.  
Raffina just nodded in understanding before continuing. “Shall we continue our trip? We’re not quite done with the town yet.”  
“Yeah, let’s go!” Amitie said cheerfully. “Lead the way, Raffina!”  
“On it!” Raffina said before walking forward, the two other girls following closely behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klug and Sig finally gets introduced along with Akuma, and hints have been dropped about Amitie's past!
> 
> Recel City is an original location here. Will we ever visit it? Who knows.  
Yes, Klug is a bit OOC here too. As with Raffina, it'll soon be explained.
> 
> Now note that next chapter, I'll be doing something a bit unorthodox with the format. To compensate, I'll be posting the next two chapters within a day of each other. You'll see what I mean once it happens.


	4. Chapter 4: Internet Losers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their town trip, Amitie gets herself invited into the class group chat. Hijinks ensue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, this is mostly a filler chapter - while I kinda sorta introduce new characters, we won't be seeing them in person until next chapter. I really couldn't think of a better way to transition into the next "part" of the story, so to speak. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the brief foray of this fic into being a chatfic!

“And that’s it for the lesson! How do you feel, bug boy?” Klug asked.  
“...sleepy…” Sig said, almost nodding off already.  
“...come on, Sig. Go home and get some rest, or you’re gonna forget everything I just taught you. I’m not gonna teach it again!”  
“...alright.” Sig said, getting up and walking off.  
“And don’t forget to eat dinner!” Klug called out to him.  
“Okay.” Sig said, continuing to walk. Klug sighed, put his own books back in his bag, then got up and followed behind.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 4: Internet Losers**

* * *

It was late in the evening now, and the sun was about to set into the horizon. The three girls were done with their trip, and they’re now back in front of Amitie’s house.  
“Wow. That was some of the most fun I’ve ever had. Thank you so much, guys.” Amitie said.  
“I’m g-glad you did!” Lidelle said cheerfully.  
“Oh, Amitie!” Raffina suddenly said. “Before I forget, we should add each other to our phones. I could even invite you into our class group chat, if you want!”  
“Ah! That sounds like a good idea!” Amitie exclaimed. “I’m curious about what other classmates I’ll have, too…”  
“Well, actually, there aren’t that many people in our class that you haven’t met yet…” Raffina said, a bit sheepish. “Anyways, my number is…”  
And just a few minutes later, they all had each other registered, both via phone and via various social media.  
"Alright. I'll be adding you into the group when I can!" Raffina said.  
"Thank you so much again, guys!" Amitie said as the two other girls began to walk off. "See you guys later?"  
"I-it's no problem, Amitie!" Lidelle waved back as she began to head home along with Raffina.  
"Yep. See you later, Amitie!" Raffina said.  
Once the two were out of sight, Amitie went back into her house. Inside, her mom was already waiting.  
"Hello, Amitie dear!" Mary called to her. "How was the trip?"  
"It was great! They showed me the town…" Amitie said, then lifted the shopping bag she was holding up to show Mary. "...and Raffina even bought me some new clothes!"  
"Oh. W-wow." Mary said, looking at Amitie's new clothes. "I gotta thank her later for this…"  
"It's no problem, mom, really. I already thanked her a lot for this, haha…" Amitie said, taking a seat at their dining table. "Let me guess, instant noodles again?"  
"Yep. Sorry, dear."  
"Get real…" Amitie said, sighing. "Oh, by the way, mom?"  
"Hm?"  
"I…met Akuma today." Amitie said.  
"Oh." Mary responded. "I'm assuming he told you, then?"  
"Yeah, he did."  
"Sorry for telling someone without you knowing, dear."  
"I-it's fine, mom. I'm actually thankful that I have someone else to talk to." Amitie said, smiling slightly.  
"Ah, I'm glad, then!" Mary said, before finally walking over to the table and placing down their noodle cups. "Dinner's ready!"  
Amitie took a brief look at the cup.  
"...seafood flavored?" She questioned.  
"Hey, I like instant noodles, but I gotta have some variety too, you know?" Mary responded.  
"Fair." Amitie didn't press further and just began to eat.

* * *

A simple meal and a shower later, and Amitie was back in her room. She was already writing away at her diary.

_16/4/2018_  
_Hey, diary! I had fun today!_  
_Lidelle and Raffina took me on a trip around town. It was actually really exciting! I can't possibly describe it all here, but Lemres's store was SO good! Raffina also bought me some new clothes at a store run by a skeleton. Would you believe that I haven't even see a skeleton until now, diary?_  
_Anyways, after some other places, we went to the library. I also stumbled upon two other people - Sig and Klug. Apparently they'll be my classmates, too! Klug seems a bit full of himself, but he's teaching Sig about chains, so he's not all selfish. He seems to have some sort of rivalry with Raffina, though. Sig is…really interesting. He seems to space off a lot. It's kinda cute, but I can see why he'd need Klug to help him out if he's like that…_  
_I also met Akuma, the curator of the library! He apparently knows about…why I moved here…but I'm happy for it, really. I have someone else to talk to now. He seems really kind, and I'm glad to have met him! He's also a demon, so this is the first time I've seen a demon as well - two for two on things I've never seen before!_  
_We exchanged numbers and social media accounts at the end of the day. Raffina's gonna try to add me to their class chatroom, so I'm looking forward to that!_  
_Anyways, I guess that's it for today. I'll write more tomorrow, diary! _

As she finished up the last sentence, her phone buzzed with a notification. Amitie promptly picked it up to see what it was.  
"FloweryDresses has invited you to group chat: Primp 5/1 Students Only"  
_Ah, there it is, I guess…_ Amitie thought as she accepted the invite. She was far from sleepy, considering the excitement of the day, so she had plenty of time to talk.

* * *

** _"Let's do it!_ **  
**Sweet Red Girl**  
**Amitie Rosalia**

* * *

RosieRedHearts joined the group.

virgin klug: We still have more guys than girls. We win!  
RosieRedHearts: Hello everyone!  
chad raffina: Hey amitie!  
abbl: hello!  
Pretty boy ⭐: hey ⭐  
RosieRedHearts: …why do klug and raffina have those nicknames?  
chad raffina: Lol he lost a bet  
virgin klug: Don't ask.  
abbl: oh dear.  
chad raffina: HEY AMITIE KLUG LOST THE FIRST ROUND OF OUR PUYO TOURNAMENT WHEN HE SAID HE WAS GONNA KICK ALL OUR ASSES  
virgin klug: NO!!!  
RosieRedHearts: Pfft!  
virgin klug: Aw man…  
RosieRedHearts: So anyways who are you guys?  
abbl: im ringo!  
abbl: i live in surazan city so you probably wont get to see me until school opens haha  
babey: im lidelle  
RosieRedHearts: Hi!  
Pretty boy ⭐: maguro. don't wear it out ⭐  
RosieRedHearts: Hello maguro!  
RosieRedHearts: Why do you type with stars like that?  
Pretty boy ⭐: it's just something i do  
Pretty boy ⭐: makes me sound fabulous ⭐  
Chonky: Oh, hello there  
Chonky: I'm Tartar. Nice to meet you  
babey: wheres sig?  
virgin klug: Hopefully sleeping.  
virgin klug: He was really tired while I was tutoring him, so I told him to get some rest.  
abbl: thats nice of you!  
virgin klug: I only told him that so he'd actually remember what I taught him!  
virgin klug: He keeps forgetting when he's tired!  
chad raffina: 👀  
abbl: 👁️  
virgin klug: Wh  
virgin klug: Why are you sending eye emojis?  
abbl: 👁️👁️  
virgin klug: GUYS???  
chad raffina: We're not saying why klug lmao  
chad raffina: Figure it out yourself  
virgin klug: HHHHHHH???  
Pretty boy ⭐: hhhhhhh  
RosieRedHearts: What is it maguro?  
Pretty boy ⭐: just hhhhhhhhh ⭐  
RosieRedHearts: Okay?  
RosieRedHearts: By the way I know why I haven't seen ringo but  
RosieRedHearts: What about maguro and tartar?  
Pretty boy ⭐: i'm ringo's neighbor so ⭐  
RosieRedHearts: Oh that makes sense.  
Chonky: I'm studying abroad  
Chonky: I won't be back until term two either so you won't see me for a while  
RosieRedHearts: Oh cool!  
RosieRedHearts: Where are you studying?  
Chonky: Germany  
Chonky: Guten Tag  
chad raffina: Wait guys amitie doesn't have a nickname yet  
abbl: .  
RosieRedHearts: Huh?

chad raffina set RosieRedHearts's nickname to: flowers!

flowers!: Oh I guess that works.  
virgin klug: Oh come on!  
virgin klug: I get stuck with virgin klug and she gets flowers!?  
chad raffina: You lost a bet klug deal with it  
abbl: i like it!  
virgin klug: I, the great Klug, will not take this humiliation!  
chad raffina: Yes you will  
chad raffina: And I reserve the right to make fun of you for it  
virgin klug: SCREW YOU!  
chad raffina: 🖕  
babey: guys please dont fight again  
chad raffina: Okay fine  
chad raffina: Sorry lidelle  
babey: thanks  
Chonky: I should get going to classes now  
Chonky: I'll talk to you all later  
abbl: seeya tartar!  
chad raffina: Later tartar  
bugs,: zzz  
flowers!: Oh is that sig?  
virgin klug: Sig!  
virgin klug: I thought I told you to go to sleep!  
bugs,: already did  
bugs,: 1 hour  
bugs,: forgot dinner so eating now  
virgin klug: Oh, okay. Carry on.  
virgin klug: WAIT, WHAT?  
virgin klug: IT’S 8PM! HAVE YOU NOT EATEN DINNER?  
bugs,: no  
virgin klug: Ugh, Sig, come on…  
bugs,: sorry  
virgin klug: It’s fine, just...go find something to eat now.  
bugs,: ok  
abbl: ill get going now too, gotta wake up early tmr  
abbl: seeya!  
flowers!: Cya ringo!  
flowers!: Actually do we really only have eight students including me in this class?  
virgin klug: Yes.  
virgin klug: Not a lot of people are interested in intensive classes.  
flowers!: I can tell why…  
virgin klug: I like schoolwork, so I don't mind!  
chad raffina: Look at mr goody two shoes here going on again lol  
virgin klug: I don't care, I get good grades!  
Pretty boy ⭐: school is boring but it makes me get better at magic so whatever ⭐  
bug,: moth on my head  
bug,: [mothboy.jpg]  
flowers!: Aww!  
virgin klug: Oh, hello.  
virgin klug: Are you done with dinner, Sig?  
bug,: yes  
bug,: releasing moth then sleeping  
virgin klug: Good! Take care of yourself!  
chad raffina: Klug you're not his mom  
virgin klug: I don't care!!!!!

* * *

Amitie just giggled to herself, continuing to chat with her new friends late into the night.  
_They really are a quirky bunch…I like them!_ She thought happily.

* * *

** _"Huh?"_ **  
**Quiet Blue Boy**  
**Sig Gladiolus**

* * *

The next few days passed uneventfully. Amitie continued to talk with her new friends and classmates, whether through their little group chat or sometimes in person when they got the chance.

* * *

virgin klug: [2018-1-schedule.jpg]  
flowers!: Thank you klug!  
virgin klug: If you ever need any guidance, just ask me!  
flowers!: I will!  
flowers!: I'm not that good at math so you'll probably need to help me with that  
abbl: oh i can help with math!  
abbl: its my favorite subject!  
flowers!: I'll keep that in mind! Thank you too!

* * *

Mary's first paycheck eventually arrived from her job. At long last, the Rosalia family could afford something other than instant noodles.  
"Ooh, what're you making, mom?"  
"Vegetable soup. How do you feel about it?"  
"I'll take anything over instant noodles!  
"Yes, yes…now go wait, it should be done soon."

* * *

chad raffina: Yo to those that are in primp rn anyone up for a movie  
virgin klug: I'm not tutoring Sig today, so sure.  
babey: sure  
flowers!: I'm in!  
flowers!: What are we watching?  
chad raffina: That new dark hand movie looks good  
virgin klug: Isn’t that part of the superhero universe they have going on?  
virgin klug: I've never watched anything from that before, why not.  
flowers!: Oh dark hand!  
flowers!: I’ve never seen it but it looks good!  
chad raffina: Alright dark hand it is  
chad raffina: I have spare money so my treat  
chad raffina: Except you klug you're paying me  
virgin klug: What!? Why!?  
chad raffina: Because I like seeing you suffer

* * *

The movie was fun. Sig didn't go with them - apparently he wanted to catch bugs instead. Amitie noted that Sig seemed to really like insects. She didn't really mind them - they can be cute sometimes.  
And no, Klug didn't have to pay. Raffina was joking.

* * *

Chonky: [whathappenedhere.jpg]  
Pretty boy ⭐: wh  
Pretty boy ⭐: a broken water fountain?  
Chonky: I just drank from this an hour ago and it's now broken  
Chonky: No one seemed to notice until I did  
Chonky: I have no idea what happened  
abbl: weird.  
Chonky: Yeah the school staff is investigating it now  
Chonky: We're still confused on how it happened because that thing was made of metal  
flowers!: Is your school really that weird tartar?  
Chonky: Sometimes  
Chonky: I've accepted the weirdness of this place after the glitter incident  
chad raffina: You still haven't told us what that was by the way  
Chonky: You're better off not knowing  
flowers!: Now I’m hoping that primp isn’t that weird  
chad raffina: It’s worse  
flowers!: ...what?  
babey: raffina please dont scare her  
babey: dont worry about it amitie  
babey: itll be fine you have all of us  
flowers!: If you say so...

* * *

More days passed, and eventually, it was the day Amitie was waiting for. She was very nervous, but also very excited - it's almost like a new life is beginning for her, after all.

On May 7, 2018, classes began for Primp Magic School.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ringo, Maguro, and Tartar (or Tarutaru if you prefer that spelling) has been introduced...ish. Either way, filler chapter over - next up, school.
> 
> For reference, usernames:  
RosieRedHearts / flowers! - Amitie  
chad raffina - Raffina  
babey - Lidelle  
virgin klug - Klug  
abbl - Ringo  
Pretty boy ⭐ - Maguro  
bugs, - Sig  
Chonky - Tartar
> 
> The title is actually a song reference - specifically, the song Internet Loser by Rob Gasser.  
Just going to say it now, I'll be going with a mixture of old translated names and the new PPC translated names for the characters.
> 
> Anyways, as I said in the A/N last chapter, the next chapter will be going up tomorrow instead of my current pace of one chapter every two days, to make up for this filler. See you then!


	5. Extra 1: First Birthday in a New Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Amitie's birthday. She hadn't told any of her friends about it until now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in the middle of writing more chapters ahead of time, I realized that I didn't know Amitie's birthday. I checked, and...it was literally two days before I said school started, so I whipped up this very quick extra chapter. Don't worry, I'll also be posting a proper chapter right alongside this as well!

**Tales From Primp Town**   
**Extra 1: First Birthday in a New Town**

* * *

_May 5, 2018_

flowers!: Oh guys!  
flowers!: Guess what?  
chad raffina: What  
flowers!: It's my birthday today!  
babey: oh happy birthday!  
abbl: happy birthday amitie!  
chad raffina: WAIT WHAT  
chad raffina: WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME I COULD'VE BOUGHT YOU SOMETHING  
flowers!: Haha I guess I just forgot  
flowers!: Sorry!  
chad raffina: Screw it are you free today I'm taking you on a shopping trip  
chad raffina: All on me  
flowers!: Oh sure!  
flowers!: Thank you raffina!  
virgin klug: Oh, happy birthday.  
Pretty boy ⭐: birth 🎂⭐  
bugs,: hbd  
Chonky: Happy birthday  
flowers!: Thank you so much everyone!   
chad raffina: When do we meet  
flowers!: You could come now  
flowers!: I'm available whenever!  
chad raffina: Alright I'm going see you in like 10 mins  
chad raffina: Anyone else up for the most last minute gift shopping ever  
babey: sure  
bugs,: ok  
abbl: both maguro and i are still in surazan otherwise wed go with  
abbl: sorry!  
virgin klug: Sure, I guess.  
chad raffina: Aight meet me in front of amitie's house  
virgin klug: …wait, where is Amitie's house?  
chad raffina: Oh right you haven't been there yet  
chad raffina: Amitie can you send your location real quick  
flowers!: Sure!

* * *

Raffina bought Amitie a beautiful, pink dress. Lidelle got her a cheap plastic crown to match it ("Hey, you're the birthday princess now!"). Sig got her a little ladybug brooch, and Klug bought her a quite elaborate looking notebook. They also all pitched in together to buy a Neapolitan cake for the birthday girl. 

All in all, for an unplanned birthday meet up, it went quite well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't mentioned this in story yet, but as of this birthday, every single 5/1 student is 16 years old in this story. It just makes more sense to me that everyone in the same class would roughly have the same age.


	6. Chapter 5: Fresh Princess of Primp, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Class finally begins for Amitie, and with it, time to finally meet her other classmates - and a few strangers - in person.

Klaxons were playing from a phone set on a counter near Amitie's bed.  
"Ugh...morning already…?" She said, groggily getting up. Sure enough, her clock read 7:00AM.  
She rubbed her eyes, then turned off the alarm. She was excited for school, but man, waking up this early is something she'll never get used to.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 5: Fresh Princess of Primp, Part 1**

* * *

As Amitie walked downstairs carrying her bag, she noticed that her mother had just finished a simple breakfast.  
"Hello, Amitie…" Mary said. She sounded a bit sleepy still. "Are you ready for school?"  
"Definitely!" Amitie said excitedly. "I'm finally about to meet my new friends in person, too!"  
"Good for you, dear!" Mary said. "Now come eat your breakfast!"  
Amitie looked over at the table. It really was just a simple breakfast: bacon and eggs.  
_Well, better than instant noodles, I guess._ She thought before beginning her meal.  
Some time later, she had finished her meal and was preparing to head out.  
"Do you know how to get to school, dear?" Mary asked.  
"My friends already told me! Don't worry!" Amitie answered back.  
"Alright, have fun at school, dear!"  
"I will!" Amitie said, leaving and closing the door behind her.  
As she left, she took a look at her surroundings. It was early morning, so the sun wasn't shining that hot yet. Everything was covered in a cool, dark shade. Amitie took a deep breath before breaking into a jog towards her new school.

* * *

She had arrived. She didn't even need to check her phone to know what time it was - the massive clock tower on the school clearly said that it was roughly 7:55AM. However, she did need to check her phone anyways for a map of the school.  
_5/1...5/1...ah, here it is!_ Amitie thought to herself before beginning to head for her class. It wouldn't start until 8:30, but it never hurts to be early.  
Once she got close to the front of her class, she saw some people that had already arrived: Klug and Raffina seemed to be chatting about…something, and there was another girl in red hair reading a book off to the side. As Amitie got close, she began to hear what they were yelling about.  
"Alright, if you say so. But if you fall asleep in class, then I'm not helping you!" Klug said.  
"I'm not Sig, Klug. I'm not gonna fall asleep in class just because I missed an hour of sleep." Raffina said, sounding somewhat tired.  
"Hey Klug! Hey Raffina!" Amitie called out to the two.  
"Oh, hello, Amitie!" Raffina waved back.  
"Huh. I didn't take you for a morning person, Amitie." Klug said, a bit surprised.  
"Hehe...I just like arriving at school early. It gives me time to do some more work!" Amitie explained. "...even though we don't have any work right now."  
"Hah! I think we'll get along fine, then!" Klug said before laughing a bit.  
"Oh, hello there!" The redheaded girl greeted, looking up from her book.  
"Oh, h-hello! Who are you?" Amitie asked.  
"I'm Ringo! Nice to finally meet you in person, Amitie!" Ringo introduced herself, offering her hand for a handshake.  
"O-oh! Hey, Ringo! Nice to meet you too!" Amitie gladly accepted the handshake.  
After that, the four simply chat for a bit. They had already gotten to know each other through their group chat, but it was still nice to finally be able to talk face to face. Eventually, Lidelle arrived as well.  
“H-hey guys!” Lidelle waved at the group.  
“Hey, Lidelle!” Raffina called out to her.  
“I-is Sig still not here?” Lidelle said.  
“...oh, crap!” Klug suddenly shouted, realizing something. “I was supposed to call on Sig and wake him up if he’s still asleep!” He then quickly whipped out his phone and began calling him. “Ugh...how did I get roped into being Sig’s caretaker? Come on, pick up...”  
“Well, he _is_ usually late anyways…” Raffina stated, sighing.  
Soon after, someone else arrived that Amitie didn’t recognize. He wore a simple white shirt with a blue tie, and his purple hair covered his eyes. He seemed to be carrying a kendama, too.  
“Heyo, everyone! ⭐” He said, sounding quite flamboyant.  
“Maguro! There you are!” Ringo greeted him.  
“Ringo! Of course you’re here early! ⭐” Maguro said, chuckling slightly. “And you, blondie, must be Amitie?”  
“That’s me!” Amitie responded. “Nice to meet you, Maguro!”  
“Same to you! ⭐” Maguro answered back.  
“...ah, Sig! You finally picked up! Are you heading to school yet?” Klug said. He was talking into his phone. “...WHAT? We have five minutes until classes start! Oh, just hurry up and come over! Dress up and eat some bread or something! I’ll talk to you once you’re here!” He yelled into his phone before putting down the call, then he gave an exasperated sigh. “He just woke up...typical Sig…”  
_W-wow. He really loves his sleep, huh?_ Amitie thought to herself.  
Then suddenly, the group heard quick footsteps getting closer. They all looked over and saw someone none of them recognized running towards them.

* * *

** _"How tingly!"_ **  
**Curious Studious Girl**  
**Ringo Ando**

* * *

The person eventually stopped, panting, once they reached the group. She had black, short, slightly ruffled hair, and she was wearing a light brown shirt that had a few dark splotches on it. She also wore dark blue jeans, and on her left arm was an orange rubber wristband with a white wrench emblazoned on it.  
“H-hey, excuse me…” The girl panted. Her voice was high-pitched but soft. “Is this class...5/3?” They asked the group.  
“Um, no, this is class 5/1. 5/3 is a bit further down the hall.” Ringo answered. “Say, are you a new student?”  
“Y-yeah...dang, I’m almost late already…” The girl said, getting up and dusting herself off. “A-anyways...my name’s Colette! I just moved into this school this year…”  
“O-oh! Another new student! Hello!” Amitie suddenly piped up. “Hey, my name’s Amitie!”  
“Hello, Amitie! I hope we get to know each other well!” Colette said, before laughing briefly. “Well, I gotta zoom, or I’ll be late! Talktoyoulater!” She said the last part very quickly before breaking back into a sprint down the hallway.  
There was a period of silence between the group. Amitie awkwardly smiled, Klug had his face in his palm, and everyone else was just utterly confused.  
“Well. Talk about a strange girl. ⭐” Maguro eventually said.  
_RIIIIIIIIIING!_  
“And that’s the school bell! Let’s go in, everyone!” Ringo said, heading into their class. Everyone else quickly followed.

* * *

Though there weren’t many students, there were still many seats in the classroom. Once everyone was seated, a woman entered the class. She had purple, curled hair, and she was wearing a white, formal dress and a simple pair of round glasses.  
“Hello, students of Primp! Welcome back to school!” She spoke. Her voice had an elderly feel to it. “Now, before we get on with anything else, as you all know, we have a new student! Will you please come to the front of the class and introduce yourself?”  
Amitie, hearing this, got up and headed over. Once she was at the front, she began speaking.  
“A-ahem. Well, all of you already know who I am, but to formally introduce myself, my name is Amitie Rosalia. I-I look forward to studying with you all!” She said, then bowed politely.  
“Thank you. You may go back to your seat.” The teacher said, and Amitie promptly made her way back. “Anyways, for the benefit of Amitie, let me introduce myself.” She then began writing on the board. “My name...is Cadence Accord. But you may call me Ms. Accord.” She finished writing, the name “Cadence Accord” now visible on the blackboard. “I am the homeroom teacher for this class. If you have any issues, please do not hesitate to come to me!~” Accord said, then giggled briefly.  
“Ah, but since this is our first period of the school year, we’ll be following standard procedures. Now, Amitie, have you gotten the class schedule?” Accord then asked.  
“Y-yes! Klug sent it to me!” Amitie responded.  
“Ah. Thank you for your help, Klug!” Accord praised.  
“It’s no problem at all, Ms. Accord!” Klug said proudly.  
“Teacher’s pet.” Raffina whispered just loud enough for Klug to hear. They were seated next to each other, so that wasn’t a tough task.  
“Tch.” Klug quietly bit back.  
“Either way, we’ll be heading to get the books required. Please follow me, everyone.” Accord called out as she began to leave the room. Everyone else followed in a single, neat line.

* * *

The next few hours went by peacefully, but it was still quite exciting for Amitie. Sig did arrive in time for the books, thankfully, so no one had to carry his books back to class this time. (Apparently either Klug or Raffina have had to do that in the past two years.) Classes weren’t terribly interesting, but already, they had mathematics. And just as Amitie predicted, she struggled and asked quite a lot of questions. She was afraid she had annoyed the teacher, even though they didn’t show any signs of being annoyed. at her constant questioning. Ringo had offered to help her out during lunch break, at least...which is where they’re at now.  
"...and tangent is opposite over adjacent."  
Ringo was sat next to Amitie and Maguro. Amitie was trying to look over the notes she took, while Maguro was just quietly playing with his kendama.  
"Alright, I…think I got it. Sine is…opposite over hypotenuse, cosine is adjacent over hypotenuse, and tangent is opposite over adjacent."  
"And the hypotenuse is…?"  
"The…side opposite the right angle?"  
"Yup, you got it! That's the basics down, so let's move on to what we're actually studying in class…"  
Math was never Amitie's subject at all, but with Ringo's help, it was much more tolerable, at the very least.  
But meanwhile, Klug and Raffina were standing in front of each other on a large field in the school.  
"Alright...same rules as usual. No magic boosting artifacts, a knockout or a topout is a loss?" Klug said.  
"Heh. Of course, Klug!" Raffina responded confidently. "Ready to get your ass kicked again?"  
"Hah! As if!" Klug bit back. "I'm still upset that you beat me at the tournament, so I'm definitely not losing to you this time!"  
"Ho ho ho! Very well, then! Are you ready?" Raffina asked.  
"As always!" Klug answered.  
"Then…"  
**_"LET'S...PUYO PUYO!"_** They both shouted as portals appeared above the both of them. The match has begun.

* * *

** _"Flamme!"_ **  
**Pretty Golden Girl**  
**Raffina Amaryllis**

* * *

This was it. Puyos of various colors began dropping down on them. Both of the fighters immediately got to work - Klug quickly and efficiently slamming the puyos down, while Raffina grappled and put down the puyos gracefully. And then, the first puyos popped on Klug's side.  
"One! Two!" Klug yelled out as the puyos cascaded down, each pop turning them into bright white particles flowing towards him. _"Fossa!"_ He then called out, launching his first attack. A red aura enveloped his hands, and he launched a bolt of fire towards Raffina. While she didn't expect an attack so quickly, she managed to barely get out of the way, watching as a small amount of nuisance puyos dropped down on her playfield.  
_This is no problem. I can just stack around this…_ Raffina thought, analyzing her situation. As both of them continued dropping, Raffina then popped a group of puyo of her own.  
"Take this, Klug! _Neige!_" Raffina yelled out, launching an attack of her own, made of ice, at Klug. However, he effortlessly dodged.  
"Hah! You'll have to do better than that to hit me!" Klug taunted.  
"Then I will!" Raffina answered. She looked at her board - her chain was big enough now, and there was the right color to fire it off. And fire it off she did.  
_"Don't blink!"_ Raffina yelled as the puyos popped behind her, empowering her with magic the more they go. Klug clearly noticed, and he was now building his own chain more frantically. And then, Raffina attacked.  
_"DECHARGE!"_ Raffina called her attack as her hands began to spark. Klug prepared to dodge, but he was too slow - she shot out a bolt of lightning towards him and he took a direct hit.  
"GAH!" Klug yelled as he was launched back by the attack. However, he was still standing. He quickly took a look at his board - his chain was now definitely bigger than Raffina's, but he needed to hold out for the right color.  
_"Feu d'Arti!"_ Raffina's assault continued. She was now forming red magic orbs in her hand. Klug recognized this attack - it was what caused him to lose in the tournament, after all. This attack wasn't too strong, but it was notoriously hard to dodge. One of Raffina's signature moves. It wasn't as powerful as it was at the tournament, since she wasn't using her empowering pouch, but it was still dangerous enough.  
Then, she launched the orbs. Klug stayed away from their trajectory as much as possible. He looked at his next puyo pair… _Ah, there it is!_ He thought. The right color has now arrived - he just needed to slam it down. So he quickly began to try and steer it - just as Raffina's projectiles began to explode around him.  
It was tense and frantic - explosions rocked the field, with Klug desperately dodging as much as he possibly could, but even with all of his effort, he still took a few hits. It wasn't enough to keep him down, however, and he at last slotted the puyo pair into the chain trigger.  
_"Awaken…"_ Klug chanted, slamming down the puyo. There it was - the chain has been activated. _"...the slumbering stars!"_  
Raffina quickly realized the threat now in front of her - she didn't have time to build up her stack enough to fight it. She had to knock him out, _fast._  
So, Raffina broke into a sprint. Then she jumped straight towards Klug. _"Etincelle!"_ She yelled out, preparing to dropkick Klug. However, he saw it coming from a mile away and counterattacked.  
_"Stella Innerans!"_ Klug called, quickly launching a blast of bright, white light at Raffina. It was a direct hit - Raffina was sent straight to the ground. However, she quickly got up. Her chain was now over - it was time to do her most powerful attack using all the magical energy accumulated.  
"Haaaah…" Raffina took a deep breath, psyching herself up, before getting into a stance. _"CIEL ARC!"_ She then yelled, performing a roundhouse kick. This wasn't meant to hit Klug on its own at all - instead, the kick launched rainbow colored projectiles that flew erratically, yet they were still aimed at Klug. However, Klug had landed on the ground by then. And when he's on the ground, he had a really good attack.  
_"TECTONICS!"_ Klug shouted, and the ground began to shake. Suddenly, it broke into pieces, with several pieces rising up quite high - and the launched pieces perfectly blocked Raffina's attack. And finally, Klug's chain was over.  
"Hah...I win!" Klug said, smirking.  
He was right. Raffina looked at the pile of nuisance puyos now hovering above her stack. "Oh no…"  
And then the nuisance fell, collapsing the entire stack and burying Raffina in puyos. "EEEEEK!"  
There was a brief period of silence as Klug looked at Raffina, completely buried in multicolored blobs. Then, Raffina dug her way out of the pile.  
"Ugh...dammit…" Raffina whined.  
"See, Raffina? I knew I'd win." Klug bragged cockily.  
"And yet you lost when there was a bet on the line." Raffina bit back.  
"Consider this my revenge!" Klug said, laughing. "...but seriously, am I glad I can change my nickname from…_that_ now."  
"I'm still keeping my name." Raffina responded.  
"Yeah, whatever." Klug said, then offered a hand to Raffina. "Hey, let's go to classes now - it's probably almost time."  
"Ugh...r-right." Raffina complained, but he took Klug's hand anyways as he pulled her up. And then, they began to walk back to their class.  
And then the bell rang.  
"SHIT! LET'S RUN!" Raffina yelled, and both of them promptly broke into a sprint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I'm finally kicking things into gear with this chapter. School has begun, Ms. Accord has been introduced along with our first proper OC, and we have our first fight scene!
> 
> The title is a lowkey reference to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.  
Just for the record, the way I'm writing school is really based on my real life experiences with it, along with a few other things I have read about. So some things may not make sense to those in certain parts of the world, and for that, I do apologize.  
Colette seems really odd now, but I promise she'll become a pretty integral part of the story down the line.  
Cadence Accord. Both first and last name related to music. Fitting, isn't it?
> 
> Okay, now let's talk fight scene. My interpretation for puyo matches follow the canon that it's essentially a magic duel, but with a few additions of my own - namely, the two methods of losing. In game, you only lose when you top out, but it wouldn't really make sense if the fighters were launching meteors and fireballs left and right and not really hurting each other, so this is how I chose to represent it. And yes, the entire puyo stack topples if you top out, if that wasn't clear by how I put it.  
The spell names used so far are the translated Japanese names rather than the actual English names (e.g. Ciel Arc rather than Rainbow Deluxe). I'm really only doing this out of preference - if there's a character that has better English chants than Japanese, I'll probably be using that.  
Finally, this is also my first time really writing a fight scene - please let me know what you think of it!
> 
> That's it for now. Next chapter, I drop a bombshell. See you then!


	7. Chapter 6: Fresh Princess of Primp, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After school, Amitie and the group finally gets a chance to properly meet the strange girl from earlier in the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CONTENT WARNING: Graphic violence is present in this chapter. You have been warned.

"ARE WE LATE!?" Klug yelled as he slammed open the door to his class along with Raffina. 

"No, the teacher isn't here yet." Ringo calmly responded.

"Oh. G-good." Klug said, adjusting his glasses before heading to his seat. Raffina followed, looking a bit nervous too.

"...did you two puyo battle again?" Maguro asked.

"Yes." Raffina answered.

"She lost." Klug bragged.

"Tch!" Raffina said, suddenly defensive.

"I'm not even surprised at this point. ⭐" Maguro simply said. "The fighting part, not the winning part."

"...are you implying something, Maguro!?" Klug suddenly yelled. Now he was defensive, too.

"Maybe. ⭐" Maguro responded.

"Gaaaaaah!" Klug moaned, slamming his head on his desk. "But I win most of our matches!" 

Everyone else (save for Sig, who was presumably daydreaming again) laughed. Even Lidelle, who giggled quietly.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 6: Fresh Princess of Primp, Part 2**

* * *

The rest of the school day came and went. Amitie saw Sig actually fall asleep in class once, but the teacher didn't say anything - they were probably either used to it or just didn't care in the first place.  
Klug groaned a bit at seeing him sleep.

_He'll probably have to catch him up. Poor Klug._ Amitie thought quietly.

After class was done, the group was walking out of school, casually chatting all the while.

"...so yeah, I think I'll be fine with that…ish…" Amitie spoke.

"Good to hear, Amitie!" Ringo said. "Remember, we're all here if you ever need to ask something!" 

"Oh, right, we already have homework…" Raffina complained. "On the first day of school…man, the history teacher is ruthless…"

Just then, they heard footsteps coming down the hallway. As they looked, they saw the strange girl from the morning running up to them. 

"H-hey! You're the group I ran into this morning!" She called out. "Sorry for running off so suddenly, I was in a hurry!" 

"Ah, hello!" Ringo greeted her. "Colette, was it? It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too!" Colette responded cheerfully.

The others also greeted her accordingly. "H-hi!" "Hi." "Hello." "Hey there. ⭐" "Hey!"

"So…you guys are class 5/1, right?" Colette said. She spoke quite quickly. "I'm class 5/3. Even though we're not in the same class, I hope to be your friend!" 

"Um, how is 5/3, by the way?" Amitie asked curiously.

"Well...to be honest, my classmates are…strange." Colette responded. "They have all these in jokes that I don't get. I was so confused when I tried to talk to them…"

"That's 5/3 for you." Ringo said, laughing softly. "They have all these in jokes that none of the other classes get, and they refuse to explain it to anyone."

"Oh, b-by the way, thanks for pointing me towards my class, um…what was your name…?" Colette suddenly said.

"Ringo!" She answered. "And it's no problem!" 

"Wait, what does 5/3 teach again?" Amitie then asked.

"Practical application!" Colette answered. "It's all about putting magic into actual real world use. I've always loved tinkering with various machines, so this really is the class for me!" 

"I see…" Amitie said.

"Ah, by the way, you're also new here, right, um…Amitie?"

"Yep!"

"Sweet! I hope we can get along! There's no other new students in 5/3, so I'm kinda looking for solidarity, haha!" Colette said.

"Yeah! New students unite!" Amitie said, raising her hand for a high five. Colette responded in kind.

"...well. Those two really fit together well, don't they? ⭐" Maguro said.

"S-seems that way." Lidelle said, smiling slightly at their interaction.

"A-anyways, I gotta go home now. Have a safe trip, everyone! Ciao!" Colette eventually said, running off ahead of the group. 

"Cya, Colette!" Amitie called to them.

There was a brief pause before the group continued walking. 

"Dang. You seem to attract a lot of friends, huh, Amitie?" Raffina joked.

"Well, my name does mean 'friendship' in French!" Amitie responded, laughing.

"...ah, yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Raffina said, her face looking like she suddenly realized something. "Dang, I know French, why didn't I pick up on that earlier?" 

"Huh, you do?" Amitie asked.

"Her family's French." Klug responded. "No wonder why she loses so much! Kya ha ha!" 

"...I want a rematch tomorrow, Klug." Raffina said, suddenly jamming her index finger into Klug's forehead.

"You're on if you want to lose again!" Klug bit back, pushing Raffina's finger off. 

"W-wow. I noticed that they have some sort of rivalry ever since I saw the group chat, but they really are at it, aren't they?" Amitie said.

"B-believe it or not, it used to be _worse…_" Lidelle explained. "They've gotten on f-friendlier terms now though, which I'm h-happy about!" 

"Hah. Yeah, we used to be at each other's throats all the time." Raffina added. "But then…something happened. We decided to collectively be less bitchy from that point onwards."

"What she said. I hated her." Klug added as well. "We're just rivals now, though. And I'm better than her!" 

"REMATCH. TOMORROW." Raffina suddenly yelled.

"Okay, okay! I heard you the first time!" Klug answered, rubbing the back of his head.

"U-um…" Amitie then piped up. "It's okay if you guys don't wanna tell, but…what happened?" 

"Ah, right, you don't know yet." Klug said. "It's fine. It happened almost two years ago now."

"Hoo boy, Amitie. Let me tell you a story, then." Raffina said.

* * *

** _"Alrighty!"_ **  
**Gadgeteer Geek**  
**Colette LaBlanc**

* * *

It was during lunch break. Raffina and Klug were having an incredibly heated battle on the field.

_“Nebula Macula!”_ Klug yelled as crystalline specks formed around him, and were sent flying into Raffina, who failed to dodge it.

“G-gah!” Raffina yelled as she was knocked down into the ground.

“Haha! You inferior child!” Klug exclaimed smugly. “You’re still weak as ever! How did you ever get into this intensive class with that _pitiful_ magic power of yours?”

“Says the one who always carry around that damn book!” Raffina spat back.

“Heheh...my book empowers me, raises me to new heights that I couldn’t reach on my own!” Klug bragged. “Even with that pouch of yours, you’re still nothing but a _weakling._ That has never changed in all our battles!”

The two of them were already angry with each other from earlier classes - in chemistry, Raffina failed to do an experiment several times in a row, while Klug managed to do it flawlessly. He, of course, rubbed this in her face. Later, during math class, Raffina got a question wrong, which was followed up by Klug condescendingly correcting her. He had been especially scathing with his insults that day, and now, Raffina was having none of it.

“Grrr...TAKE THIS! _FORT!_” Raffina screamed before kicking Klug straight in his chest. He was predictably knocked down by the attack.

_“I’LL SHOW YOU WEAK! I’LL SHOW YOU IDIOTIC!”_ Raffina screamed in pure rage. _“RAGE SOLEIL!”_ She called out, grabbing Klug by his uniform collar. Just then, her hands glowed red, and fire began emitting from it.

“A-AAAAAGH!” Klug screamed in pain. “S-STOP! IT HURTS!”

“HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW, HUH, MR. GENIUS?” Raffina yelled. She was too consumed by rage to register that now, Klug’s skin was genuinely getting burned. “AM I WEAK NOW, HUH?”

After a while, Raffina finally let go. Klug collapsed onto the ground unceremoniously.

“Hah...hah...that’ll teach you a lesson, Klug.” Raffina said, panting. There was no response. “...Klug?”

That’s when she noticed that Klug was unconscious, with a large part of his uniform burned off and a massive, deep burn on his chest and neck.

“O-oh my god! W-what have I done?” Raffina gasped in horror. “I...SOMEONE! ANYONE! THERE’S SOMEONE BADLY HURT HERE!” She then yelled loudly, trying to get someone’s attention towards her. Thankfully, someone noticed and began running over. Raffina then looked at Klug, fear and guilt in her eyes.

“I-I’m so sorry…” Raffina whispered, beginning to tear up.

* * *

"O-oh my god…" Amitie exclaimed quietly, clearly terrified at the story Raffina was recounting.

“I-I let my rage take over. To be honest, I...I’ve always had anger issues. But this really was when it came to a head. I hated him, but I didn’t want him _dead._” Raffina said, clearly shaking from having to recount what she did. “I nearly got expelled for it. It took a lot of convincing from everyone for the principal to let me stay...however, I was put in for behavioral treatment, and my mom also signed me up for actual anger management therapy.”

“When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. It...still hurt when I woke up.” Klug added. “It really was nasty - apparently it reached third degree where she grabbed me. You can still see the scar on me, here.” He said, then moved his shirt collar out of the way to his left. Sure enough, there was a burn scar that reached to his shoulder.

“We didn’t see each other for a while. He was terrified of me, I was terrified of him.” Raffina continued. “But eventually, after a lot of therapy...I worked up the courage to talk to him again.”

* * *

“Klug.” Raffina said. She was looking Klug straight in the eye.

“Raffina.” Klug simply said in response.

“I...I wanted to apologize. For what I did.” Raffina said shakily. “T-there’s no excuse for doing what I did. It was...horrible. I’m truly sorry.” She already sounded close to tears.

“...I want to apologize, too.” Klug said, surprising Raffina. “After I woke up, I...realized it was my teasing and putting down that put you over the edge. I did some thinking, and...I think I’ve been too condescending, acting all high and mighty when in reality, I’m just a cocky jerk who wants to feel superior to others. So...I’m sorry. For pushing you around so much.”

Raffina paused, before looking away. She was clearly tearing up now. “H-heh. I guess we’ve both got some changing to do.”

“Yeah, I guess we do.” Klug agreed.

After another pause, Raffina then extended her hand. “So...we both have issues we gotta work through. Truce?”

Klug looked at her hand briefly before accepting the handshake. “Yeah. Truce.”

Suddenly, Raffina tightened her grip on Klug’s hand. “But don’t mistake this as a sign that I admit I’m worse than you, you asshole. I’ll prove to you that _I’m_ the better fighter here.”

“Heh. Never thought otherwise.” Klug said, also tightening his grip and smirking. "My genius will always prevail over your brawns!"

* * *

"As you can see now, we've mellowed out somewhat." Raffina said. "We're still fighting, but it's on much friendlier competitive terms now."

"Honestly, in the end, I'm glad it happened, believe it or not." Klug then spoke. "Not a lot of people liked me before then - they called me rude and condescending. And they're right. I guess it had to be something drastic that changed my personality."

"W-wow…" Amitie said, shocked. She really couldn't believe they used to be so nasty towards each other. "I'm so sorry, both of you."

"Eh, we got over it. Don't worry about us." Raffina said. Then they looked at their surroundings. They had wandered out of the school already, and Ringo and Maguro had already left. Sig was still there, but he was completely distracted and was just following the group. 

"Ah. Well, I…guess we should be heading our separate ways now." Raffina said.

"Y-yeah…" Lidelle spoke. "I'll be heading home now. S-see you guys tomorrow!" She then took off in another direction. 

"Yes, I should be heading back home as well. I have homework to finish." Klug said as well. "I shall see you all later. Hey, Sig! Time for you to go home!" Klug said, walking his own way back home. 

"H-huh? Oh." Sig said, snapping out of his daydreaming. "Alright. See you later." He then walked off.

"Right, I'll be heading home too, then. See you later, Raffina!" Amitie shouted as she began to run back to her own house.

"See you, Amitie!" Raffina said, finally leaving as well.

* * *

** _"Defectio Lunae!"_ **  
**Genius Purple Boy**  
**Klug Clemantis**

* * *

The next few days passed relatively uneventfully. They eventually had their first practical magic class - it was essentially gym class, but for using magic. Amitie showed herself to be decent at magic but lacking in spell variety, while the others were shown to have their strong and weak points. 

Klug had very powerful magic, but he needed some sort of red book to help him out. Raffina channeled her magic through fighting moves, but she also had a magic boosting item of her own - in this case, the pouch she always carries around. She seemed ashamed to use it, however, asking the teacher if she could take it off. However, the teacher wanted the strongest magic possible from them as a gauge of strength, so the pouch stayed. Ringo's magic wasn't terribly powerful, but her electric attacks arced wildly and seemed incredibly difficult to avoid. Lidelle's wind magic was strong, but lacked precision - it was hard for her to hit one single spot, having to sweep a large area instead. Maguro apparently channeled magic through his kendama - his attacks were stylish and precise, but also didn't have too much power behind it. Finally, Sig's attacks are powerful and precise, but more sluggish - if someone sees the attack coming, it wouldn't be too hard to dodge at all.

The days continued as normal. Ringo would help Amitie with math, Klug and Raffina would occasionally have their puyo matches - sometimes even using their magic empowering items - and at the end of the day, Colette would come to see them and talk briefly before leaving. The group didn't get to see her a lot, but she was a nice presence, and they had acknowledged her as a friend.

However, that was about to change.  
One week after school began, an extraordinary event happened that would change everything for the students of the magic school.

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now, we finally get the explanation on why Klug and Raffina are much more friendly to each other than in canon. Raffina's rage took over due to Klug's nasty attitude, and the two collided badly. Now, they're making amends.
> 
> Now, quick note - someone on a discord I'm in mentioned that the paragraphs were poorly spaced and made the story feel cramped. I've rectified it by making line breaks bigger here, please let me know what you think!  
We also get a more proper introduction to Colette here. A bit more than just a one off character now, isn't she?
> 
> Not else much to say except regarding posting schedule. I've been posting once every two days up until now, but I've decided to slow down a bit - from now on, chapters will be posted on Wednesdays and Sundays. Let's see how it goes.
> 
> Next chapter will drastically change the dynamics. I hope you're all ready. See you then!


	8. Chapter 7: Entanglement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catastrophe strikes. Portals have suddenly opened up all over the town, and the Primp Magic School team quickly runs into someone who appeared from one of them.

_Crash. Crash._

“...you are a fool if you think you can save them all.”

“I...do not mean to save them all. I mean...to save enough.”

“...your precious one has fallen. Nothing shall remain.”

“...no. She will live. One way or another...she will live.”

“But you won’t.”

“Maybe not. But who knows until I try?”

_CRASH. CRASH._

“Arle...be safe…”

** _CRASH._ **

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 7: Entanglement**

* * *

"...and there you go! Top!" Colette said excitedly.

It was lunch break, and this time, Colette had found Amitie's group and is now showing something she made. Sig was absent that day - apparently, he was strangely exhausted that day, so he decided to stay home and rest.

"Wow...and you made this yourself?" Amitie asked, curious and excited.

"Yup! 100% Colette-made!" She said, puffing up proudly.

The item in question was a metallic, steampunk-looking top. Colette had infused it with magic in order to have it be able to spin very well and even let it do tricks. 

"Wow. That's actually really cool. ⭐" Maguro complimented. "You know, how about we have a battle of the toys later on? Top vs. kendama? ⭐" 

"You're on!" Colette said, pointing to Maguro.

Then suddenly, Raffina ran to their table.

"G-guys...something weird's happening outside!" Raffina yelled. This got the attention of the table, along with some other people that heard.

"W-what is it, Raffina?" Ringo inquired.

"You won't believe it until you see it…follow me!" Raffina called to them before taking off back outside. Everyone at the table quickly got up and followed.

* * *

And sure enough, outside was something unbelievable indeed.

"W-what is this?" Ringo asked in a worried tone.

In front of them was some sort of portal. It swirled and sparked slightly in front of the group.

"I don't know." Klug responded. He had been waiting here while Raffina went to call the rest of the group over. "We were just about to have a puyo match as usual, and then…this opened up!"

Amitie then got a notification on her phone - in fact, the entire group did. They all promptly checked their phones.

"BREAKING: Several unidentified portals have opened up around Primp Town. Unknown if dangerous - caution advised."

"So it's not just here…" Amitie said.

"W-what's going o-on?" Lidelle said, clearly nervous. 

Then suddenly, the portal began sparking more wildly.

"C-crap! Everyone stay back!" Klug yelled, before following his own advice and backing off as well.

Everyone watched nervously as the portal continued to spark and swirl wildly…until someone came out of it. She looked to be quite a lot older than anyone there, but still quite young as well. She wore a blue and white dress and simple sandals, and she had long, flowing, blue hair.

"U-ugh...I made it…" She spoke.

"W-who are you!?" Amitie yelled, panicked. 

"O-oh, I did not expect people here!" The blue-haired woman said. "Can you tell me where I am?" 

"Y-you're in Primp Magic School, located in Primp Town." Ringo responded, trying to keep calm. "Who are you? What is happening?"

"Primp Town…then I really have entered another dimension…" The woman whispered to herself. "My name is Rulue. I shall explain what happened to the best of my ability…I am assuming I am not the only one here?" She then asked out loud.

"You're the only one we've seen, but apparently, portals have opened up all over town." Ringo explained.

"Y-you better explain well what's happening!" Klug said. Even he was panicking.

"H-hey, we should head to Akuma. He might know w-what's going on…" Lidelle suggested.

"And skip school!?" Klug suddenly yelled. "No th-" 

"Attention, everyone." The school PA system cut him off. "Due to the sudden appearance of unexplained portals, we have decided to terminate the school day early. Please head directly home, and take care to avoid any accidents."

"...well. You heard the system, Klug." Raffina said. "Let's go."

* * *

** _"Dazzling!"_ **  
**Strength and Style**  
**Maguro Sasaki**

* * *

_Knock, knock._

"You may enter." Akuma immediately spoke. The group was now at the library once more. 

Lidelle quickly opened the door, and everyone quickly poured inside.

"I'm assuming you got tangled up with the portal business?" Akuma immediately stated.

"Yes." Ringo said calmly. She really was acting as the voice of reason for them right now. "One had appeared in school, and as we were looking at it, this woman came out of it." 

"My name is Rulue." She introduced herself, her tone professional yet with a hint of assertiveness.

"Hello, Ms. Rulue, KUMA!" Akuma stated. "Now, since you came from one of the portals, I'm assuming you know something about what happened."

"I do, somewhat." Rulue said. "I must first clarify…I'm from another dimension, as far as I know."

"A-another dimension!?" Amitie exclaimed in shock.

"Allow me to finish!" Rulue suddenly snapped at Amitie.

"S-sorry…" Amitie apologized, looking away.

"Hmph. Either way, I was simply doing my own business. Arle - someone I know - had apparently gone on another adventure. She does this a lot, and she often comes into conflict with my dear Satan~" Rulue explained, swooning at the mention of Satan.

"I see, KUMA! And who is this 'Satan'?" Akuma asked.

"He is the ruler of Hell. He is incredibly powerful, strong, and handsome!~" Rulue answered, swooning quite hard.

"Ruler of hell!?" A lot of the group exclaimed together. 

"A-are you his…um...lover?" Lidelle asked.

"Oh, I have shown him my love so many times, but yet he doesn't accept it!" Rulue said. "Either way, this is besides the point…her adventure this time did not involve fighting him. In fact, he helped her this time."

"I have no idea what she was fighting this time. Apparently, whatever it was, it was dangerous enough that Arle went and asked for a part of Satan's power. Him being obsessed with Arle as he is, he lent it without issues. From what I've heard, she also asked for help from Schezo - yet another person I know - as well. She even left Carbuncle behind! She must be very desperate to do this…" Rulue continued explaining.

"I see…and who is this Carbuncle, KUMA?" Akuma asked again.

"It's a little rabbit looking…thing." Rulue explained. "He was Satan's pet, but Arle took it from him. Carbuncle and Arle are inseparable, which is why it surprised me so much to hear that she left him behind."

"I decided to seek out Satan, but on my way, the ground suddenly began to shake heavily. It threatening to throw me off my balance…" Rulue continued. "And then, the portals appeared. Then I heard Satan's voice."

Rulue paused briefly at this point. "I remember what he said clearly…" 

"All that can hear me…the impossible has happened. Arle has failed her quest. This world is about to be destroyed. With every ounce of my power, I have opened several portals to another dimension, where you all will hopefully survive. Arle…if you can hear me, Carbuncle is safe. He already went through. You don't have to worry. And to everyone else…good luck. Go."

"His voice was so shaken…it was so unlike him to act like this…" Rulue said. She now had her hand balled up in a fist. "But I had to trust him. I had no choice…and so, I entered."

"And now, here you are." Akuma finished. "If what you're saying is true, then you can't be the only thing that made it through. I'll tell as many people as possible to search and rescue those that came through the portals."

"W-we'll help, too!" Amitie suddenly shouted, now looking determined. "What you just said sounded terrible…I need to help those who made it through!" 

"I'll go, too!" Colette then said.

Everyone else quickly showed their support.

"I'm going with you!" Raffina stated.

"I'm not heartless. I'm gonna help. ⭐" Maguro spoke.

"I shall find as many people as possible!" Klug said.

"I-I'm in as well!" Lidelle said.

"Of course, I'll be helping, too." Ringo simply said.

Akuma smiled slightly. "Thank you for your help, everyone, KUMAKUMA! Please stay safe."

"I...I won't be going." Rulue eventually stated. "After all that…I need a moment to collect my thoughts."

"I understand, KUMA!" Akuma responded. "You may rest here as long as you need."

"...that...would be appreciated." Rulue said, settling into the couch and holding her forehead.

"Alright. Rescue mission is a go! Let's move out, everyone!" Amitie then shouted before running out the room. Everyone else save for Rulue and Akuma followed.

* * *

** _"Here I go."_ **  
**Wise Demon of Primp**  
**Akuma**

* * *

The seven had split into three teams. Amitie went with Colette, Raffina went with Klug and Lidelle, and Ringo went with Maguro.

* * *

Team Amilette (Amitie and Colette had come up with that on the spot) headed to a location close to Primp Forest.

"Alright, apparently there was a portal here…" Amitie said, mostly to herself.

"Ah, Amitie, Look!" Colette yelled, pointing to a particular spot in the tree grove. There seemed to be a path carved out through the tall grass and the branches. "Could that have been done by someone who came out of the portal?" 

"It might be! Let's go!" Amitie shouted before heading straight through the path, Colette following close behind. And after following the path for a while, they heard someone's voice.

"Who goes there? Show yourselves!" The voice said. It was a masculine voice, sounding not too high or too low.

"I-I'm Amitie!" She yelled out.

"And I'm Colette!" Colette yelled as well. "Did you come from the portal? We're here to help!"

"...yes, I am. Show yourselves to me." The voice said.

A bit later, the two girls finally found the source of the voice. He was a young looking man with white hair, wearing a blue headband. He also wore a cape that was green on the inside and blue on the outside, and his robe was also blue. He also seemed to be wearing metallic boots, and was holding a translucent sword.

"W-who are you?" Amitie asked.

The man planted his sword into the ground. "I am Schezo, the dark mage. I…was sent here from another dimension."

"We know. Rulue already explained the situation to us." Colette said.

"Rulue, huh…? I'm…glad she made it." Schezo responded.

"Come on. We'll take you somewhere safe." Amitie then said. 

"Yes, let us head to your _sacred place!_" Schezo yelled. This caused both Colette and Amitie to suddenly stare at him, blushing. "W-what?" 

"Y-you _pervert!_" They both eventually yelled.

"W-w-wait, I didn't…oh no, I'm doing it again…" Schezo said, groaning. "I apologize. I have a nasty speech quirk that makes things I say come out wrong. That said, _do not call me a pervert!_"

"O-okay…let's just go." Colette then said, leading them out of the forest.

* * *

Meanwhile, Klug and Raffina was at a lake in their town.

"...hey, Klug." Raffina said. "Split up and race you to see who finds someone first?" 

Klug sighed, but then he smirked. "You just have to turn everything into a race, don't you? Very well! I, the great Klug, will be the first to rescue someone!" 

"W-what about me?" Lidelle asked.

"You can come with me, Lidelle!" Raffina said.

"O-oh, okay!" Lidelle said, suddenly covering her face again.

But then, they all heard a sound on two fronts - a yell from somewhere in the nearby forest, and splashes from the lake, sounding like swimming.

"Nevermind. You two head in the forest, I'll check the lake here!" Klug yelled.

"Since when did you get to order me around!?" Raffina yelled back.

Klug just smirked. "Dibs."

"...I hate you." Raffina said, then ran off into the forest. Lidelle quickly followed.

Klug then looked in the lake and saw someone swimming towards him. She had blue hair, and…seemed to be a mermaid.

"Hey! Who are you? Did you come from a portal?" Klug yelled out to her.

The mermaid stopped swimming, then poked her head up. She was still a ways away from the shore. "Y-yes! M-m-m-my name is Serilly!" She yelled back. "Please don't eat me!" She suddenly splashed water at Klug. It was strong enough to soak him quite a bit.

"G-gah! Calm down! I'm not here to eat you!" Klug shouted. "Ugh, my glasses…" He complained, wiping it with whatever part of his uniform was still dry. 

"W-what do you want, then?" Serilly said.

"I'm here to take you somewhere safe. Do you know a Rulue?" Klug asked.

"A-Arle told me about her before…" Serilly responded.

"Good enough. She's here, and she told me what happened." Klug explained. "I'd take you there, but…you're a mermaid."

"A-are there people who want to eat me!?" Serilly suddenly shouted.

"N-no! No one wants to eat you!" Klug yelled back. "I meant that I don't think you can exactly walk there!" 

"O-oh." Serilly said quietly. "I-I can turn my tailfin into legs for a bit, if I need to…"

"...nah, stay here. I'll tell the others that you're here. It's safer that way." Klug said. 

"Please don't let anyone eat me!" Serilly yelled, splashing Klug again.

"AUGH! No one's gonna eat you! Calm down!" Klug yelled, then sighed before beginning to walk back to the library. "I need a towel…I regret letting those two take the forest…"

* * *

Meanwhile, Raffina and Lidelle was off a bit deeper into the forest. She tried to listen for the voice she heard.

"Ugh… I gotta find civilization…" The voice said.

"Hey! Can you hear me!?" Raffina called out for the voice.

"W-who's there!?" The voice yelled.

"I'm Raffina!" She responded. "You said you wanted to find civilization? I can take you somewhere safe!" The two eventually came upon a clearing, when they saw a young man with brown hair. He was wearing a regal looking golden armor, and was holding a basic sword.

"Ah, at last, assistance!" The young man said. "I am Ragnus, the light warrior. I thank you both for your help!"

"H-hello, Ragnus!" Lidelle said.

"Yeah, yeah…say, do you know who Rulue is?" Raffina asked him.

"I'm...afraid I have not heard that name before." Ragnus answered. 

"Well, she seems to have come from the save dimension as you. She told me what happened." Raffina stated.

"I see…" Ragnus said quietly. "Very well. Please lead me to this 'safe location'."

"F-follow me!" Lidelle said, heading back towards the library with Raffina and Ragnus in tow.

* * *

Finally, Ringo and Maguro was on a street. They almost immediately heard a commotion from not too far away.

"Must be where someone came out. Let's go, Mag!" Ringo said.

"Yeah, yeah. After you. ⭐" Maguro said before following her.

Eventually, they stumbled upon the source of the commotion - a small crowd had gathered, and the pair could hear a young girl from the middle of it.

"E-everyone! Please move out of the way!" Ringo called out, trying to part the crowd and head for the voice in the middle. "We're here to help the girl!" 

After a while, they managed to break through the crowd. In the middle was a young girl holding a broom. She had blonde hair and was wearing a blue wizard hat along with a blue dress.

"W-who are you?" The girl said warily.

"I'm Ringo, and this is Maguro." Ringo said, introducing the two of them. "Did you come through the portal?"

"Yeah, I did." She said, suddenly looking indignant. "If you must know, I came from another dimension."

"We know. Rulue told us. ⭐" Maguro spoke.

"Um...I don't know who that is." The girl simply said. "Anyways, I'm…just call me Witch."

"Alright, Witch. I have somewhere safe to take you to - would you like to come with us?" Ringo asked.

"Fine. Anywhere is better than this dang crowd!" Witch yelled, and the three promptly began heading back to home base.

**To Be Continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was meant to go up on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I got sick then, so I decided to delay it until now. Whoops.
> 
> Either way, things begin to take a turn for the darker now. Some Madou characters have begun to appear, with a pretty nasty reason for it, too. And now, the cast will have to deal with the sudden visit from another world.
> 
> Rulue's depiction here is...a bit different from canon. In fact, she was actually inspired directly by Twitter account @RulueFQ's portrayal of her! I personally love their depiction of her a lot, so she'll be heavily influenced by it here.  
Schezo has a...slightly friendlier relationship with Rulue. Not by much, but at least he doesn't absolutely hate her guts.  
I'm using Ragnus's PPC localization name here. Honestly, Ragnus just sounds more...correct than Lagnus to me. He's still tagged as Lagnus, though, for convenience's sake.
> 
> Nothing much else to say. To be continued, see you next chapter.


	9. Chapter 8: Interdimensional Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After gathering whoever they can, the teams - along with the people they got - meet back at the library. However, their meeting would then be interrupted by something quite important.

"Oh, hey, Kl...oh my god what happened to you?" Raffina asked, seeing Klug utterly soaked in water.

"Mermaid. _Paranoid_ mermaid." Klug answered exasperatedly. "I regret sending you two in the forest."

"I-I'm sorry…" Lidelle meekly said.

"It's fine, Lidelle…" Klug said quietly.

"Pfft-ahahahahaha!" Raffina broke out into laughter. "You shouldn't have said dibs, Klug! Ahahahahaha!" 

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Klug said.

Raffina's laughter continued as they continued heading back to the library.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 8: Interdimensional Rendezvous**

* * *

At last, everyone had arrived back at Akuma's office. Klug was currently covered in a towel and trying to warm up. Ragnus and Schezo were sat next to each other, glaring at each other all the while. Everyone else was just sat wherever they wanted to be. However, Rulue was nowhere to be found.

"Ahem. First off, allow me to thank everyone that offered to help in gathering those who arrived through the portals, KUMA!" Akuma spoke, his voice authoritative. "Now, Rulue has left to get a breath of fresh air and explore the town for a bit. But I hope the rest of you will be able to inform me of what happened. First, why don't you all introduce yourselves?" 

"I am Schezo Wegey, the dark mage." Schezo went first.

"Ah, Schezo. Rulue told me your name, KUMA!" Akuma spoke.

"Ragnus Bisashi, the light warrior, at your service!" Ragnus shouted boisterously. This earned him a glare from Schezo, but they both said nothing further.

"I...don't actually have a name. But you can call me Witch!" Witch said.

"I see, I see. And Klug has made me aware that a mermaid named Serilly has been found as well, but due to...obvious circumstances, she could not join us here, KUMAKUMA!" Akuma said. "Now, I assume your…rescuers, for lack of a better word, have informed you about what they know about your situations?"

"They told me that someone named Rulue told them, so yes, roughly." Ragnus said.

"As far as I know, what she told them is basically accurate." Schezo added. "Though may I add to the story?" 

"Go ahead, MAKUMA!" Akuma said.

"As Rulue said, Arle came to me for help as well. I was not made aware of the threat we faced, however, and later down the journey, she told me to drop the adventure and run." Schezo explained. "Frankly, that…surprised me, at the very least. Arle is incredibly strong - I've always wanted her for a reason."

"...wanted her?" Colette said, raising an eyebrow.

"Her power! Wanted her power!" Schezo hastily corrected. "A-anyways…I tried to refuse, but she wouldn't have any of it - she actually _battled_ me to force me to leave. I've never seen Arle act like this before, so I was beginning to feel…quite afraid, I must admit. Some time after that, the portals opened, and…you know the rest." He finished his explanation.

"Hah. The dark mage felt fear." Ragnus suddenly piped up.

"Y-you shut up, light warrior!" Schezo said, suddenly defensive.

"...you two don't get along, do you?" Raffina noted.

_"No."_ They both responded at the same time. Raffina snorted a bit at that.

"I...to be honest, I didn't even know what happened until they told me." Witch spoke. "I just saw portals and heard Satan, and then I ended up here, and there was a crowd, and…urgh!"

"Hm hm." Akuma mumbled to himself. "Ah, yes. I have heard you both mention this…'Arle'. Who is she?" 

"Ah, Arle! I know her!" Witch yelled suddenly.

"I know of her, as well." Ragnus said. "It seems the common link between us is that we all know Arle."

"S-so did Serilly…" Klug piped up, still wrapped in towels.

"Anyways...she was this adventurer girl who was really good at magic." Witch explained. "We're basically rivals at this point, even though I haven't beaten her in a long time. She keeps winning all our duels!" 

"I had once assisted her in a battle against a dark entity called the Yoggus." Ragnus added. "She is…a powerful mage, indeed."

"When we first met, we were nasty enemies. I desired her and - ahem, her _strength_ \- and was willing to go to any lengths for it." Schezo also added. "She defeated me at every turn, though. We eventually grew into more friendly terms, though we're far from friends. It still surprises me that she'd actually ask for my help…"

Then suddenly, the door slammed open. Rulue was standing in front of it, and she seems to have ran here, judging by her slightly disheveled posture that she quickly adjusted.

"Ah, good. The rescue teams are back." Rulue said. "And…Schezo, and…you two."

"Rulue. So you did make it." Schezo spoke.

"Yes, I did. Would you ever doubt the fighting queen?~" Rulue responded. "Either way, I've found something you all really should see. Including the two people I don't know, depending on whether you know Arle or not."

"We do!" Both Ragnus and Witch said.

"Good. Follow me, then!" Rulue then walked out, and everyone followed - including Akuma, this time, but excluding Klug. He needed more time to warm up in his towels.

* * *

** _"Hi-yah!"_ **  
**The Fighting Queen**  
**Rulue Riyoshi**

* * *

"Hah…hah…" Amitie panted. "Ms. Rulue…you run too fast!"

"Just keep up!" Rulue shouted back at them. "We're about to arrive, just keep going!" 

Rulue was running, with everyone else trailing behind. Schezo, Ragnus, Raffina, and Akuma didn't have any issues catching up, Lidelle, Klug, Witch, Maguro, and Ringo struggled a bit, and Amitie and Colette were at the tail end of the impromptu line they've formed.

Eventually, Rulue stopped. "Alright…here she is." She stated.

Everyone gathered around to look at what Rulue had to show them. Upon seeing what it was, the three that came from the portal collectively gasped.

"It's...it's Arle!" Schezo shouted. 

_So this…is Arle?_ Amitie thought to herself.

In front of them was a young girl with brown hair. She wore a white, sleeveless vest over a blue dress, and there seemed to be shoulder pads on her left shoulder only. Blue cloth wrapped both of her wrists and also tied her hair.

"She's...she's alive." Ragnus stated. "She's unconscious, but she's alive!"

"R-Rulue, how did this happen?" Schezo asked. "I-I thought Satan said that…"

"I don't know either, but there has to be a good explanation for this." Rulue said. "My Satan wouldn't lie about something so important such as this…"

"Tch. Still as infatuated with that demon as ever, I see." Schezo spat. 

"Like you would know anything about love!" Rulue bit back.

"Stand back. I'll try a healing spell on her." Ragnus stated, then raised his sword up in the air. _"Gaia Healing!"_ He then chanted. His sword was then enveloped in a bright, white light, and light rays began flowing from the sword into Arle's body. Eventually, the light faded from the sword and stopped flowing.

There was a brief period of silence as everyone observed.

And then, Arle slowly opened her eyes.

"U...ungh…" She groaned as she awoke from her unconsciousness. "W…where am I…?" 

"Arle!" Schezo yelled. "You're alright!" 

"S…Schezo…? Wait...I remember!" Arle suddenly jolted up. "The Creator! Where is he!?" 

"A-Arle…I…" Ragnus tried to speak. He sounded utterly pained.

Rulue decided to finish for him. "Arle…according to Satan, you lost. We were all sent to another dimension by him. I'm afraid…our old world is gone."

Arle looked utterly stunned at this. "R-Rulue…" She quietly said. "I…lost…?"

Ragnus simply nodded in response.

"I...I lost…n-no…" Arle muttered in horror. "W-what about Carby!? Is he here!?"

"Satan said that he made it, Arle. Don't worry yourself." Schezo said. This made her calm down a bit.

"I have not found him yet, unfortu-" Rulue tried to speak, but was cut off by a sound the five of them all recognized.

"Gu! Gugu!"

* * *

** _"Hoo-hah!"_ **  
**The Dark Mage**  
**Schezo Wegey**

* * *

Arle immediately got up. "C-Carby!" 

"Gugu! Gugugu!" A yellow, rabbit-like creature ran over. He seemed to have an odd red gem embedded in his head. Once he reached Arle, she immediately took him in a hug.

"Carby...I-I'm so glad you're okay…" Arle said, sounding close to tears.

"Gugu…" Carbuncle responded. 

"I-I'm sorry…I wasn't strong enough to protect everyone…" She said, now openly crying on Carbuncle.

"Gu...gugu…" Carbuncle said, sounding sad.

"Um, Ms. Rulue…can you understand him?" Amitie asked.

"O-oh, no, I can't." Rulue said. "I forgot to mention, Carbuncle only speaks in 'gugu' sounds. Apparently, it can be understood by anyone with enough practice, but so far, only Arle and Satan has done it."

"O-oh." Amitie said.

Meanwhile, Schezo watched in silence. He seemed deep in thought.

"Hey, Schezo. Whatcha thinking about? ⭐" Maguro suddenly asked.

"O-oh, I was thinking of my own pet." Schezo answered.

"Wait. You had one?" Witch questioned.

"Yes. His name was Tenori Zoh, and he was a very tiny elephant. He was also quite capable of fighting." Schezo said, suddenly looking sad. "I…hope he made it, too."

"Oh, don't worry yourself. If he's really as good as you say, I'm sure he made it. ⭐" Maguro said, trying to comfort him a bit.

"I certainly hope so. Thank you, um…" Schezo said, then trailed off. 

"The name's Maguro. Hey there. ⭐" Maguro responded.

"Right. Thank you, Maguro." Schezo said, now smiling slightly.

Eventually, Arle and Carbuncle broke off their hug. Arle wiped her tears, then finally noticed the amount of people surrounding her. "Oh, um…sorry you all had to see that, haha…"

"It's fine!" Colette said cheerily. "Hey there! Welcome to Primp Town!" 

"Primp Town, huh…?" Arle said, taking a look at her surroundings. "I've…never seen anywhere quite like this before…"

"Well, we _are_ in another dimension." Witch piped up.

"Ah, Witch. I haven't seen you in a while, actually." Arle walked over and offered a handshake. "Nice to see you again."

"Same to you!" Witch cheerfully said, accepting the handshake. "I thought I'd lost my rival for a good while!" She laughed, even though she was still quite shaken from Arle's uncertain fate.

“Anyways...another dimension, huh?” Arle said, her expression turning melancholic. “I guess I’ll have plenty of time to get to know everyone here, then.”

“Ahem.” Akuma suddenly spoke up. “While this is a nice reunion and all, we should probably head back to the library first, KUMA!”

“R-right. Let’s go!” And everyone began to head back.

During the entire trip back, however, Amitie was staring at Arle.

_She seems interesting...I hope I get to know her better…_ She thought to herself.

**To be continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, change of plans. My schedule has now indicated that a biweekly (as in, twice a week) posting is unfortunately unfeasible for me. So, I've decided to change to a weekly schedule every Saturday. Hope you guys don't mind.
> 
> Anyways, surprise surprise (especially if you've seen the tags) - Arle's still alive. We also get a bit of a further glimpse into what happened.
> 
> Ragnus's mention of the Yoggus is actually based on his very first appearance in the Madou Monogatari series (NOT Puyo Puyo). Specifically, Madou Monogatari Saturn (Or Madoh Monogatari, if you insist on that spelling).  
Rulue's last name of Riyoshi means "Hunter" in Japanese.  
Yeah, Carby made it here. Arle's already lost an entire dimension, let's not kick her while she's down and kill off her best friend, yeah?
> 
> Nothing else to say. See you next chapter.


	10. Chapter 9: Now what?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding Arle, it was time to finally discuss how things were gonna progress from then on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just noting right now, GGdSCI is Klug's actual username.

Chonky: Hey I just saw the news on the portals  
Chonky: Are you all okay?  
chad raffina: Yeah we’re fine  
chad raffina: Actually we all got tangled in the middle of it lmao  
chad raffina: We’re escorting people who came out of the portals to akuma  
Chonky: Ah hell  
Chonky: Just stay safe  
Chonky: If any of them hurt any of you they will feel Tartar’s wrath  
bugs,: wait what happened  
GGdSCI: I’ll explain once I see you again, Sig. It’s a long story.  
bugs,: ok

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 9: Now what?**

* * *

They were now all back in Akuma’s office once more. Klug had dried and warmed up by that point, so he was back in his usual uniform. On the way back, everyone had introduced themselves to each other, so that there wouldn’t be any confusion on who each person was. Once again, everyone was seated wherever they wanted to sit - the office was quite large, so it accommodated the large amount of people without issues.

“Ahem. Now that we’ve all gathered here once again…” Akuma announced. “I believe it’s time we finally talk about how our...new residents will be living.”

“Um, won’t there be issues regarding residency?” Klug asked.

“I’ve taken the liberty of running everything to the mayor already, KUMA! Everything should be handled once they decide where they’ll stay.” Akuma answered.

“If we find anyone else who came from the portals, will they be handled as well?” Raffina asked.

“They should be, MAKUMA! I’ll just have to contact the offices and clear everything up.” Akuma responded.

“Um...what are our options?” Arle asked.

“Well, I believe there are a few empty houses in the town still, but you’ll need to be working if you want those. Housing isn’t free, after all, KUKUKUMA!” Akuma explained. “Or, if anyone here is willing, you can stay with them for a while.”

“W-well, um, my house is...out of the question, sadly. We’re struggling to take care of ourselves as it is.” Amitie said. “Sorry.”

“Um...I think I can take a couple of people in my family’s mansion.” Raffina said, pulling out her phone. “Let me clear everything with my mom first.”

“M-my house doesn’t have any guest rooms.” Lidelle said.

“Well, both Maguro and I live in Surazan, so that’s out of the question.” Ringo stated.

“I...believe there’s an empty room in my house.” Klug said. “But you better be helping out with things, too!”

“Oh, right. You live alone, don’t you, Klug? I keep forgetting that.” Raffina said.

“W-wait, you do, Klug?” Amitie asked.

“Yeah, I manage.” Klug simply said. “My parents work overseas, so I have to take care of the house by myself. They do send me money, so I’m definitely not short on it.”

“Ah, I see…” Amitie said thoughtfully.

“Oh, by the way, I cleared it with my mom. I can take two people in my house.” Raffina then said.

Suddenly, music began playing from Amitie’s pocket.

“Oh, sorry, someone’s calling.” Amitie said, pulling up her phone and answering. “Yes, hello, mom! ...yeah, sorry. We actually got ourselves involved in the entire thing, since a portal opened up in school. ...mom, we’re fine! Don’t worry! ...um, we’re discussing where the new people will be living right now.”

Everyone else just looked while Amitie continued talking. “...WHAT!? A-are you sure, mom? ...o-oh, I didn’t know! Congratulations! ...alright, alright, I’ll tell them. Thank you, mom. ...see you later.” And she finally put down her phone.

“Guys...I’ll actually be able to take one person.” Amitie then said.

“H-huh?” Lidelle questioned. “D-didn’t you just say you were s-struggling already?”

“Well, my mom apparently got a pay raise.” Amitie explained. “She said that it should be enough to support someone else in the house...provided they’re okay with sleeping on the same bed as me, since we only have two bedrooms and they’re both taken.”

“O-oh. I see.” Lidelle said quietly.

“O-oh! I have a spare room, as well!” Colette said. “It’s a bit messy, but it should be enough to live in! I'm sure my dad won't mind!”

Akuma nodded. “Alright. Since we have five people here, and five spots available in everyone’s houses, this should be enough.” He then announced. “Well then, make your choices. Where will everyone be staying?”

* * *

** _"Yes, I did it!"_ **  
**The Savior Knight**  
**Arle Nadja**

* * *

The five new people took some time to consider their choices. Eventually, Rulue was the first to speak.

“I shall be staying with Raffina for now.” She stated. “However, I shall find myself somewhere to work and will only be staying as long as it is necessary. Once I gather enough money to get my own home, I shall leave.”

“Yeah, works for me.” Raffina said, shrugging.

“I...think I’ll stay with Amitie.” Arle eventually said. “I-is it okay if Carby comes with me, too?”

“Does he need anything special?” Amitie asked.

“No, not really. He doesn’t even need to eat at all, though he still enjoys it.” Arle answered. “He loves curry, though. Especially if it’s my special recipe.”

“Gu gugu gu!” Carbuncle piped up.

“W-well, I don’t know if we have enough for curry ingredients, but he should be fine, then!” Amitie said cheerfully.

“Alright! I’ll help out as much as I can, too. I hope we won’t be a burden!” Arle said.

“It’s fine, Arle! You won’t be!” Amitie reassured. _Well, there’s my wish to get to know her better fulfilled._ She thought to herself.

“I shall be heading with Klug.” Schezo said. “He seems like an interesting fellow, and I’d like to _explore him all over._”

“...W-WHAT!?” Klug shouted.

“I-I-um...ugh, I did it again!” Schezo said, groaning. “I meant your personality…your studious nature interests me…”

“O-okay...I...think I understood.” Klug stuttered out, adjusting his glasses. “Remember though, you have to carry your own weight!”

“I’ve lived on my own for a long time, so I do not believe that will be a problem.” Schezo responded.

“I’ll go with Colette. She seems interesting!” Witch said.

“Hehe! I hope we get along!” Colette responded.

“Well, that works out. I wanted to go with Raffina either way.” Ragnus spoke. Raffina just nodded in response.

“Alright. So Arle will be staying with Amitie, Witch will be staying with Colette, Schezo shall be staying with Klug, and Raffina will take care of Rulue and Ragnus. Is this your final decisions, KUMA?” Akuma announced.

“Yes.” “Yep.” “Yes!” “Yes.” “Yeah!” The five of them said in a chorus.

“Very well. I’ll be sending details over to the residential office, and they’ll take care of the rest. You all may leave now if you wish, KUMAKUMA!” Akuma stated, picking up a pen and beginning to write down some things.

“Yeah, I think it’s about time I headed home. I got material to read through.” Klug said, getting up and beginning to leave the room. “Follow me, Schezo.”

“Right.” Schezo said, following Klug out.

“Actually, Ringo and I should go. Our parents are probably worried enough as it is. ⭐” Maguro said.

“R-right! We’ll be taking our leave now. Let’s go, Mag!” Ringo said, and the two of them then left as well.

“I s-should go, as well. I have duties I need to take care of at home.” Lidelle said before also taking her leave.

“Alright, I guess it’s time. Follow me, you two.” Raffina said before taking Rulue and Ragnus to see her home.

“Alright, let’s go! You ready to see where I live, Wicchi?” Colette called out.

“Wicchi, huh? I like it! Let’s go!” Witch said, following Colette out the door.

And that just left Amitie and Arle.

“...should we go?” Amitie asked.

“Yeah, I’m ready when you are!” Arle stated.

“A-alright. Let’s go, then.” Amitie said, and both of them departed along with Carbuncle, leaving Akuma to fill in the paperwork alone.

* * *

** _"Wa-pow!"_ **  
**Potions and Cantrips**  
**Witch**

* * *

Amitie had decided to try and strike up some small talk as they headed towards her home.

"Um, hey, Arle?" She asked. "It's okay if you don't wanna answer now, but what was your…dimension like?"

"A-ah…well…" Arle deliberated briefly before answering. "It was…very different from here, for sure. Most of it is wilderness - there aren't many towns at all, and they were never this big."

"Mhm…" Amitie listened curiously.

"It was also…quite dangerous." Arle continued. "Monsters were everywhere, and as the others told you, I have to deal with dangerous enemies all the time." 

"W-wow…" Amitie exclaimed quietly. "You're really brave to be facing monsters regularly like that, Arle…"

"Heheh, thank you!" Arle responded. "It was necessary to survive in that world, though…when I say monsters, I mean there are some incredibly dangerous and terrifying ones out there. It's…not uncommon for me to barely finish off an enemy while I'm barely able to stand…" She continued, her expression now growing sadder.

"O-oh my…" Amitie said. "Well, you don't have to worry about that now…this world is quite a safe place, so you don't have to worry about having to fight."

"Thank you, Amitie. That…actually means a lot to me." Arle said, sighing. She then looked away from Amitie briefly.

Suddenly, Carbuncle hugged Arle's legs. "Gugu gugugu!" 

"Ah, Carby…thank you. I'll be okay, don't worry." Arle said, petting the creature and smiling slightly.

"Gu gu gu!" Carbuncle responded.

"...hey, do you think you can teach me to understand Carbuncle some time, Arle?" Amitie then asked.

"O-oh, sure!" Arle answered. She now seemed more cheerful than before. "It's quite hard, though…"

"I'll manage!" Amitie said.

* * *

Eventually, the three arrived at Amitie's home. She quickly opened the door and headed in, with Arle and Carbuncle following closely behind.

"Hey, mom! I'm home!" Amitie called out.

"Ah, Amitie! Welcome back, dear!" Mary responded. "And who might you be?" She then said, indicating Arle.

"I-I'm Arle Nadja! Nice to meet you, ma'am!" Arle said.

"Haha! Just Mary is fine!" Mary said, laughing. "And, ah…what are you?" She then asked, noticing the yellow creature next to Arle.

"O-oh, this is Carbuncle, my companion." Arle explained. "I hope he won't be too much of a burden to bring with me, Ms. Mary."

"Well...I suppose it's alright. You'll have to take care of him yourself, though, alright?" Mary said calmly.

"O-of course, Ms. Mary!" Arle said confidently.

"Alright, then! Who's up for instant noodles?" Mary then called out.

"...we're having that again, mom?" Amitie said, slightly bored. Meanwhile, Arle seemed very interested.

"What...are instant noodles?" She asked.

There was then an awkward silence.

"W-wow, you haven't had instant noodles before?" Mary said, sounding shocked. "Well, you're missing out! Here, let me prepare some for everyone! Including Carbuncle over there, if he can eat it."

"H-he probably can! Thank you, Ms. Mary!" Arle said cheerfully.

"Gugu! Gugugu gu!" Carbuncle said.

"Get real…" Amitie said, now facepalming. _This is gonna be a strange night…_ She thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, they needed to get somewhere to live - this will work for now.
> 
> Honestly, I headcanon Akuma as having at least a degree of authority in the city, beyond just being a curator for the library. He's a demon and has been in town for a long time, he'd probably have a degree of power in helping out with official stuff.
> 
> I'm just gonna say it now - the next few chapters won't have a lot in the way of story. It'll mostly be spent developing the characters further. That said, I hope it doesn't come off as too filler-y to you guys!
> 
> Not much to be said about this chapter. See you next one.


	11. Chapter 10: Fairy Fair - Arle & Amitie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having decided on where to live, the five visitors will now have to adjust to their new - and to them, unusual - surroundings...starting with Arle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of mental illnesses in this chapter. Nothing major, just be warned.

"Mmm…this is pretty good!" Arle said, slurping her instant noodles.

"Gugu gugu!" Carbuncle seemed to agree.

"Isn't it?" Mary said, also eating her own cup of noodles.

Amitie just watched the three of them, amused. She was just happy that they were enjoying themselves.

"Hey, dear, are you going to eat?" Mary suddenly asked.

"O-oh, right." Amitie said before beginning to eat her own noodles as well.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 10: Fairy Fair - Arle & Amitie**

* * *

After their dinner, Amitie led Arle and Carbuncle over to her room. Once she was in front, she opened the door.

“Well...welcome to my room!” Amitie said.

Inside was a relatively plain room with barely any decorations. There was a plain bed that had a couple pillows on it - it was enough for two people, it seems. Next to the bed was a small, empty counter. There was also a desk with a small basket of stationery on top along with what seemed to be a bottle of pills. Off to another side of the room was a fairly empty bookshelf that was a bit taller than Amitie herself - all that was on it was her diary, a pile of books from her school, and a box for...something. It was hard to tell what it was from afar, but it looked like some sort of game. Finally, there was a small, white closet in a corner of the room.

“Whoa…” Arle said in awe.

“Heheh...it’s actually not much at all, but it’s enough for me!” Amitie said cheerfully as she grabbed a remote that was attached to the wall and turned on the air conditioner with it. “You can take a look around, if you want. I’ll be heading over for a bath. Just...please don’t touch the bottle on my desk.”

“O-okay!” Arle said as Amitie began grabbing her towel.

“Oh, and before I forget, there should be a spare mattress stashed somewhere in the house if Carbuncle needs one. Feel free to ask my mom!” Amitie called out, shutting the door behind her as she made for the bathroom.

Arle just stood for a bit before walking over to check the shelf.

“So she keeps a diary...hm...and these are...math books? History books? Oh, this must be for school…” Arle mumbled to herself. “And this is...Scythe? What is this?”

She finally got a good look at the box on the shelf. It seemed to be a board game of some kind - the cover of it depicted a decrepit landscape with some people walking.

“...eh. I’ll ask Amitie about it once she comes back.” She then stated, sitting down on the bed.

“Gugu gugu?” Carbuncle suddenly piped up.

"O-oh, well, she seems nice so far." Arle said, seemingly answering a question he asked. "In fact, everyone here has been quite kind. I'm…also glad some people I know made it here too - it makes me feel less alone."

"Gu! Gu gugu!" Carbuncle chirped.

"Heh. What would I do without you, Carby?" Arle said, laughing softly.

* * *

After a while, Amitie returned, a towel wrapping her. She walked in on Arle seemingly chatting with Carbuncle. Since she could only understand half of the conversation, it was…a bit weird to listen to.

"Hey, Arle. I'm done with showering." Amitie called out. "Do you wanna go next?" 

"O-oh, hey, Amitie!" Arle said, a bit surprised by the sudden entry. "Y-yeah, sure…do you, um, have any other towels?" 

"Um…hang on. Lemme look." Amitie said, then went to dig through her closet. "Aaand…ah, here it is!" She exclaimed, then tossed a towel over Arle's way. "Here you go!"

"T-thanks!" Arle said, quickly catching the towel before it could fall flat on her face.

"...wait, Arle." Amitie suddenly called. "You…don't have any change of clothes, don't you?"

"Oh. Yeah, I…don't." Arle responded sheepishly. "I don't even have a lot of clothes back in my dimensions, and this was…kind of an emergency trip." She said, laughing slightly.

"Well, it's okay. You can borrow my pajamas and see if they fit." Amitie suggested.

"W-wah!?" Arle exclaimed, suddenly blushing. "A-are you sure, Amitie? It's fine, I'm used to sleeping in my current clothes!" 

"Um...I...yeah, it's fine! Really!" Amitie said, seemingly realizing what she suggested. She was also beginning to blush as well.

And there was an awkward silence between the two.

"...can you please go to take a bath now? I need to change into my pajamas, too." Amitie said, embarrassed.

"Y-yeah. I'm going now." Arle said, beginning to walk out. "Carby, you can wait outside the bathroom."

"Gugu!" Carbuncle exclaimed, following behind. Once the door shut, Amitie sighed loudly.

* * *

** _"Cyclowhirl!"_ **  
**Sweet Red Girl**  
**Amitie Rosalia**

* * *

Not too long after, Arle returned wrapped in a towel, notably with the cloth wrapping her hair now missing. Amitie left the room to let her change, and also to find a mattress for Carbuncle. Arle said she didn't need it, but she thought it'd be nice anyways. After digging through the closet for a while, Arle settled on a plain white and blue set of pajamas.

"How do I look, Carby?" Arle asked.

"Gugu gu!" Carbuncle chirped.

"Hehe, thanks!" Arle then exclaimed cheerfully. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Hey, I got the mattress! Are you done dressing up?" Amitie's voice asked through the door.

"Yeah! Come in!" Arle answered. At this, Amitie opened the door and headed in.

* * *

Amitie then went and grabbed her diary, then walked over to her desk. Sighing, she opened the diary, picked up a pen, and began writing. Arle watched quietly along with Carbuncle.

"You keep a diary, Amitie?" Arle eventually asked.

"Oh, yeah, I do." Amitie responded. "My doctor told me it would be a good idea, and…yeah, it's actually helping a bit."

"A…doctor? Are you sick, Amitie?" Arle asked, worry now in her voice.

"O-oh. Um…I guess you could say that." Amitie said, her expression darkening.

"A-are you okay? Is it bad!?" Arle yelled with concern.

"A-Arle, don't worry, I'll be fine…" Amitie said sadly. "I…moved here from another city. In that sense, I'm kinda like you, new in this town, haha. He…recommended this to me as a way to ease any loneliness that I might have."

"I see…" Arle said quietly.

"It's also what these pills are for." Amitie then said, putting her pen down and opening the pill bottle on the table. "I...actually have depression, so these pills help with it."

"De...pression?" Arle said in a confused tone.

"...well, to _seriously_ simplify it, it means my brain doesn't work quite right in keeping me happy. It’s way more complex than that, but that’s the very basic explanation." Amitie tried to explain to the best of her ability. She then paused for a bit as she took a pill from the bottle. "It has something to do with the chemicals in the brain - I don't really understand it, either. I just know that these help keep it in check."

"Hm...I've never heard of that before…" Arle said thoughtfully.

Suddenly, this gave the idea for Amitie to ask something.

"Hey, Arle…odd question, but how advanced was your world?" She questioned. "Like, technology wise, I mean."

"O-oh, well…it was less advanced than this world, for sure." Arle answered. "We had towns and we had showers, but we still use candles and such to light any place. Actually, I was meaning to ask about the strange light sources on the ceiling…"

"Oh. Wow." Amitie said, surprised at how much more...ancient Arle's old dimension was. "Well, those are lightbulbs. They use electricity to produce light."

"Wow...you can do all this with electricity?" Arle said in awe.

"Yeah! It powers almost every technology in our world, like my phone!" Amitie explained, pulling out her phone to show Arle.

"W-wow...what is that?" Arle said upon seeing the strange device Amitie pulled out.

"This is a phone! It's mainly used to easily communicate with other people, even people you've never seen before!" Amitie explained enthusiastically. "Also, you can use it to play games, if you're bored."

"I've seen anything like it in my world before…" Arle said, utterly amazed by what Amitie is showing her. "This world really is much more advanced than mine…"

"Yeah...it is, isn't it?" Amitie said cheerfully.

"By the way, what made you ask?" Arle then questioned.

"O-oh, it came to me when you said you didn't know what depression was." Amitie answered. "I thought it was strange that you didn't know, since it's a very well recognized mental condition here."

"Mental conditions…?" Arle asked once again.

"Yes. Sometimes, people have brains that don't work quite all right." Amitie explained. "We have special doctors called psychologists and therapists here for that that'll help us deal with it."

"I see...interesting…" Arle said quietly. "I don’t think it’s the same thing, but I actually have a spell that makes you dumber temporarily. It's quite helpful when battling monsters back in my world."

"Oh, right. You're a magic user as well, aren't you?" Amitie said. "Mind battling me some time? I wanna test my skills against yours!"

"Hehe, sure! Just let me know when!" Arle responded. "Oh, by the way, I've been meaning to ask about something."

"Hm?" Amitie said.

"What's Scythe? I saw it on your shelf." Arle then asked.

"Oh, it's a board game!" Amitie said. "My mom bought it for me as a Christmas present. I was...quite isolated from people for a while because of...something I’m still not ready to talk about. She got this for me so that I’d have something to play when I have free time rather than sit in my room doing nothing.”

“A board game?” Arle said. “That sounds fun! Can I play?”

“Yeah! You can play this game with multiple people!” Amitie exclaimed. “Does Carbuncle over there wanna play, too?”

“Gu gugu.” Carbuncle spoke.

“He said he’ll just watch.” Arle translated for Amitie.

“Alright, then! Gimme a moment to set it up…”

* * *

** _"Fireball!"_ **  
**The Savior Knight**  
**Arle Nadja**

* * *

The two played the game for a couple hours. After Amitie had explained the basic rules, Arle caught on quite quickly, and the two had a lot of fun, but in the end, Amitie won, being more experienced at the game.

“Haha! I have more gold! I win!” Amitie exclaimed in triumph.

“Aw...oh well, it’s my first game. I’ll beat you next time!” Arle said, laughing happily.

“Gu-gu! Gu-gu! Gu-gu!” Carbuncle chanted, seemingly cheering Arle on.

“Ah well...it’s a bit past 10 now. Do you wanna head to bed now?” Amitie then asked.

“Hm...sure. There’s not really much else to do, and that game takes...quite a while.” Arle said, rubbing the back of her head. “I mean, it’s fun, but we just spent two hours playing it!”

“Yeah, the game can take a while, haha…” Amitie said, laughing sheepishly. She then headed over and turned off the lights, then got on the bed on the side closer to the wall. Arle followed, getting on the opposite side. And that’s when Amitie realized something.

“Um...we’ll have to share a blanket. I only have one.” Amitie stated.

“Oh. Well, that’s fine. I’m used to sleeping in the cold, you can take the blanket if you want.” Arle said dismissively.

“A-are you sure? I don’t mind sharing…” Amitie asked once again.

“...actually, yeah, I’ll take it. I’m used to sleeping in the cold, but I still don’t like it.” Arle admitted, getting into the blanket as well.

Meanwhile, Carbuncle began to curl up on his little mattress on the floor, closing his eyes. Seems he’s already drifting off to sleep.

“So...good night, see you tomorrow?” Amitie said quietly.

“Yeah. Good night.” Arle said, closing her eyes as well.

* * *

Amitie tried to close her eyes and sleep as well, but for some reason, thoughts were whirling in her head.

_Arle’s...really nice. She thought to herself. She seems so interesting...her being from another world, her stories of adventures, and also Carbuncle…_

_…I’m really glad she’s staying with me, somehow…_

Amitie felt her face heat up slightly.

_...why am I thinking like this?_ She then shook her head, trying to dismiss the thoughts and fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops. There's our first ship on the horizon.
> 
> As someone who suffers from depression in real life, I know this explanation does not do it justice at all. I'm just trying to think of how someone like Amitie would explain it to a person who's never been exposed to anything like it before. I hope I did a good enough job of it.  
Scythe is a real board game. Look it up - it seems quite fun.
> 
> As stated, this chapter and the next few chapters will take some time to develop our current characters. Next up on the list: Schezo and Klug. See you then.


	12. Chapter 11: Walpurgisnacht - Schezo & Klug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At Klug’s house, Klug gets to know his new housemate, while Schezo discovers a strange source of power.

“...so you always do that?” Klug asked, referring to Schezo’s tendency to badly word things.

“Yes. Arle has made fun of me for it plenty of times before.” Schezo said. “And for the love of the gods, _do not call me a creeper or a pervert!_”

“Okay, okay! Jeez!” Klug responded. “Anyways, we’re getting close to my house, here.”

“Excellent. Then tonight, we shall _score together!_” Schezo said boisterously.

“...SCHEZO! YOU’RE DOING IT AGAIN!” Klug yelled in part amusement, but mostly utter terror.

Schezo just let out a resigned sigh. “Nevermind that. Let’s just go.”

Klug facepalmed as they continued walking.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 11: Walpurgisnacht - Schezo & Klug**

* * *

“And...here we are.” Klug said as he unlocked the door to his house. They’ve arrived.

Klug’s house was quite plain - there wasn’t much furniture in the living room, save for the basics of a couch, a dining table, and a TV set on a countertop table. There was also a fan in the corner. There was also a desk in a corner of the room.

“So this is your shelter…” Schezo muttered to himself. “It is quite nice. Reminds me of where I live, myself.”

“Huh. Where did you live back in your world, Schezo?” Klug asked, now curious.

“I actually lived in a cave.” Schezo answered. “I even furnished it myself. It is quite cozy, though the lack of a door can be quite troublesome.”

“Oh, huh.” Klug simply responded. “Well, either way, I got work to do. Make yourself comfortable.” He then continued, heading over to the desk and putting his bag on it. “Ugh, thank the lords I invested in a waterproof bag…”

At this, Schezo simply sat down on the couch as Klug pulled out some notebooks from his bag, presumably about to do some homework.

* * *

After a while, Schezo took notice of the strange black panel on the desk in front of him.

“Hm. What is this black panel?” Schezo asked.

“Oh, you...don’t have these back in your world?” Klug responded with another question.

“We do not. I have realized that our world is...quite primitive, compared to yours.” Schezo answered.

“Ah, well. That’s called a television, or TV for short. Technically, it’s a medium for media transmission, but for short, it just displays entertainment.” Klug explained, his voice sounding a bit smug at getting to explain something new to someone. “I could turn it on, if you want.”

“Sure, I suppose. It could ease my boredom slightly.” Schezo said dismissively.

“Actually, why don’t you do it yourself?” Klug then suggested. “See that black bar with buttons on it? That’s a remote for controlling the TV. To turn it on, just point it at the screen and press the red button...no, turn it the other way around.”

“Ah. Here we go.” Schezo said as he eventually managed to do it. The screen then turned on, showing a documentary channel - it was currently talking about various wildlife.

“Huh. It’s talking about...wildlife?” Schezo said, his voice curious.

“I don’t really watch a lot of things, so I usually keep a documentary on there.” Klug said, still writing in his notebook in the background. “You could change it to something else, if you want.”

“...no, I think this is rather interesting.” Schezo responded. He already seems quite absorbed in the quiet documentary. Klug didn’t say anything and just continued doing work.

* * *

The next few hours passed by uneventfully. They eventually had dinner - Schezo wanted to cook, and he actually made a pretty good steak for the both of them. By now, it was roughly 7PM, and Klug was now finished with his work - instead, he’s now reading over his notes over and over again. Schezo was still sat on the couch...when he suddenly got up.

“Klug.” Schezo spoke. “I sense a source of power near you.”

“...what?” Klug said, confused.

Schezo then walked over to Klug. “I sense a powerful magical artifact! Show it to me!”

“W-what!? How did you even…!?” Klug said, shocked at Schezo’s sudden advance.

“As the dark mage, I have the power to sense any magical energy. I...want...you!” Schezo exclaimed loudly.

“S-SCHEZO! WHAT!?” Klug screamed. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘YOU WANT ME’!?”

“...your power. I want your power!” Schezo corrected. “Show the artifact to me!”

Klug eventually groaned in defeat. “Ugh...fine! I think I know what you’re talking about…” He said, searching his bag for something, eventually pulling out a strange, red book. “Aaand...ah, here it is.”

“Hm...a strange red tome…” Schezo muttered. “This is the artifact of power I am sensing! Let me see it!”

“Calm down! Ugh, here, let me show you what it actually is…” Klug said, sounding quite frustrated as he put the book down on his desk. He then knocked on the cover a couple of times.

“Wakey wakey, Ayashii. Someone wants to see you.”

* * *

** _"I'm all yours!"_ **  
**The Dark Mage**  
**Schezo Wegey**

* * *

At Klug’s knocking, the book suddenly opened on its own, a red glow emanating from it. After flipping through several pages, the book eventually settled down, and a red spirit appeared, seemingly attached to the book.

“Ugh. Hello, meatbag. What do you want?” The spirit said, already sounding annoyed.

“As I said, someone wants to meet you. Say hello to Ayashii, Schezo.” Klug said.

“Huh. A tome containing a spirit…” Schezo said quietly, examining what Klug had just shown him.

“...this is what you call me out for?” Ayashii said, now exasperated.

“Look, just...just bear with me here.” Klug said, also sounding annoyed now.

“You...I sense power within you. What are you?” Schezo said, his voice curious.

“Oh, hello. For your reference, I am Ayashii, a demon.” The spirit said simply. “And I’ve been sealed in this book for who-knows-how-long.”

“I see...a sealed demon…” Schezo said to himself. “This...can increase my power massively! Give it to me!”

_“No.”_ Both Klug and Ayashii said at the same time.

“W-what!?” Schezo exclaimed.

“Look, Lemres gave this book to me fair and square, so I’m keeping this book. I don’t even know you very well yet, why would I give a demon to you!?” Klug spoke in an exasperated tone.

“I know Klug. I don’t know you. I’m staying.” Ayashii said as well. “I might not like him that much, but at least I can trust him to not do anything stupid with me.”

“Grrrr...fine, then! Do puyos exist in this world!?” Schezo yelled out angrily.

“Oh? You’re challenging me?” Klug said, his voice now sounding much cockier. “Instead of dropping the issue peacefully, you want to challenge me for this book?”

“I can’t take your power without challenging you!” Schezo responded. “LET’S-”

“OKAY NO. We’re taking this outside. I am _not_ destroying my house over this!” Klug hastily yelled, interrupting Schezo. “Let’s go and show this…’dark mage’ our power, Ayashii!”

“Yes, yes. Whatever.” Ayashii said as Klug closed the book back. The two of them then headed outside, Klug carrying the book at stake out with him.

* * *

“So, then.” Klug said simply. The two were now standing in front of Klug’s house, facing each other. The moon was high in the sky, and it was quite dark out now. “What are the rules of a puyo match back in your world?”

“Four colors, and a knockout or a topout is a loss.” Schezo answered.

“Counter rules?” Klug asked further.

“Of course.”

“Hah! There should be no problem here, then!” Klug boasted. “I, the prodigy of Primp, will utterly annihilate you with my skills!”

“And I, the dark mage, refuse to be defeated by someone so young! I will have that tome for myself!” Schezo countered.

And finally, they both yelled the magic words. **_“LET’S...PUYO PUYO!”_**

The portals opened above them, and they immediately got to work. Immediately, you could see the differences in style between the two - Klug went for a clean stack with several trigger points, while Schezo played aggressively, having a massive chain that would be easily blocked. And unfortunately for him, Klug noticed this and quickly fired off a small chain.

“One! Two! Three! _Ursa Major!_” Klug yelled as his 3-chain activated. He became surrounded by a bright light, which he then weaponized by firing them as beams at Schezo. However, Schezo noticed, not only dodging but firing a small counter chain as well.

“One! Two! Three! Four!” Schezo chanted as the puyos popped behind him. _“Shadow Edge!”_ He then yelled as his sword suddenly became surrounded by a black aura. He then spun with his sword in his hands, launching dark cuts across the air. Due to the darkness, Klug was rendered completely unable to see the attacks coming at him, and got hit by every cut. He was launched backwards and into the ground.

“GYAH!” Klug screamed as he landed on his side. He had lost his grip on his tome while he was sent flying. He struggled slightly before getting back up. “Dark magic while in darkness...his attacks are essentially invisible like this…!”

As if to add salt to the wound, nuisance puyos fell on Klug’s stack as well. Thankfully, because he was careful with his stacking, this did not hinder him too much, and after he grabbed the book he dropped, he got right back to stacking.

After a while, Klug decided that his chain was big enough, and began to fire his attack. The right puyos had fallen, and now, it was time to use it.

_“Awaken...the slumbering stars!”_ Klug chanted. _“Brighten...into a constellation!”_

Schezo obviously noticed this. He continued stacking briefly before deciding to fire back.

_“Sword of Oblivion...grant me strength!”_ Schezo chanted, raising his sword into the sky as it became enveloped by a dark aura once more.

As the both of them prepared their attacks, they both knew that this was about to get interesting.

* * *

** _"Starlight!"_ **  
**Genius Purple Boy**  
**Klug Clemantis**

* * *

Klug fired off his attack first. _“Stella Innerans!”_ He yelled as light enveloped his hands, then he fired a beam of light at Schezo.

Schezo countered with his own attack. _“Sting Shade!”_ He chanted, pointing his sword towards the beam of light coming at him and firing a beam of darkness straight back at it. The two attacks canceled each other out perfectly.

Klug was already preparing his next attack, though. _“Defectio Lunae!”_ He shouted, raising his tome up in the air. It began glowing with a dark red aura, as the silhouette of the moon appeared behind him. Then, it darkened, and suddenly, dark lasers shot out from behind Klug, headed straight for Schezo. He was caught off guard by this - while he managed to parry a few beams with his sword, he took a few hits from the attack and was knocked back slightly.

“Tch...it seems I have underestimated this fight.” Schezo said. “Very well, then! _Ariad!_” He screamed, spinning his sword before plunging it into the ground.

At this, beams of darkness erupted from the ground around Schezo, and they arced as they headed for Klug. Klug tried to dodge, but to no avail - due to the low visibility and high speed of the attacks, Klug was hit by many of the beams, and he was launched back yet again. This time, he struggled more than before while getting up. Once he did, however, he noticed something that made him panic quite a lot - Schezo's chain was bigger than his own, and if he can't knock out Schezo now, he's a goner. And so, he began to devise a plan.

_"Nebula Macula!"_ He yelled out as his book began glowing red once again and crystalline specks formed around him. They grew for a bit before flying off above Schezo, making him turn around. Immediately, he noticed the crystal specks were flying at him at high speed. He quickly used his sword to cut them apart, but Klug didn't relent, and the stream kept coming. Schezo took quite a few hits - while they weren't very strong, they could definitely take him down with sheer amount. So, Schezo changed his plans and turned around back at Klug. He drew his sword as it once again turned dark, and began charging.

_"Star Strike!"_ Schezo yelled, as white specks began appearing on his sword. Once he got close enough to Klug, he slashed, a beautiful, almost astral trail following his sword…but as he did, Klug immediately jumped high out of the way. Then, lights appeared behind Klug.

"Heh…got you!" Klug said triumphantly, the lights surrounding him forming a circle and glowing brighter. His book also began to shake in his hands. _"VIS ATTRAHENDI!"_ He screamed, and the lights blasted towards Schezo.

There was no way for Schezo to avoid it - he was too close, and the attack was too fast. He was hit directly by every beam that came out, and he was immediately knocked to the ground. He struggled briefly, trying to get up, but quickly collapsed. Klug had won.

After the attack was over, Klug fell back to the ground and almost immediately collapsed into a sitting position.

"Hah...hah…" Klug panted. "I must admit…you're stronger than most people I've faced…"

"...I...shouldn't have went ahead and charged…" Schezo said, groaning in pain.

"Well...a deal's a deal. I'm keeping my book." Klug said, trying to sound smug. However, exhaustion was evident in his voice.

"Tch...very well…" Schezo spoke.

"...dammit, I'm exhausted. I wanted to study more, but…I guess now I have to call it a night." Klug then said, finally getting up. "Thanks a lot." He then said sarcastically.

Schezo eventually got up as well. "Why are you thanking me? That sounds like something you should be punishing me for."

"...one, that was sarcasm. Two, I think your beating is punishment enough." Klug said, sounding almost dumbfounded at Schezo. "Let's…let's just go. I have to shower."

Schezo said nothing as he followed Klug back inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And of course, Schezo gets into a fight over Ayashii. He...wants...power.
> 
> I actually flipped around with Ayashii's name briefly. I planned to name him Amuro in this fic at first, but in the end, I went with the standard name that's usually given to him.  
Yes, I just referenced Jojo. Deal with it.  
I'm aware that Schezo's sword is just called the Dark Sword, but...come on, that's not threatening at all. Oblivion sounds way cooler.  
Did you know that Areiado is actually meant to be Ariad? Sounds less cool, sure, but it's more accurate when I translate it this way.
> 
> Coming up next, Colette and Witch. See you next chapter.


	13. Chapter 12: Chez Geek - Witch & Colette

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Colette's side, she brought Witch to her house without incident. They then...do teenage girl things. That is to say, geek out on what they love.

"I'm having a slumber party!~ I'm having a slumber party!~" Colette chanted gleefully as she and Witch walked.

"...a slumber party?" Witch said, confused.

At that, Colette gasped in faux horror. "Are you telling me you've never had a slumber party before!?" 

"Um, no…" Witch simply said.

"Oh, screw that! Now I'm definitely showing you a slumber party!" Colette said, suddenly grabbing Witch and beginning to run. "Let's go!" 

"W-waaaait!" Witch yelled in protest as she was dragged along, to no avail.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 12: Chez Geek - Witch & Colette**

* * *

"Hey, dad! I'm home!" Colette chirped as she opened the door to her house. Witch was still being dragged along - she looked quite dazed.

"Welcome back, Colette! I was wondering when you'd come home!" A man standing inside said, then gave a hearty laugh. He had a large stature, and seemed to be dressed in clothes befitting of a mechanic.

"Hehe, sorry. I got caught up in the entire portal thing." Colette answered sheepishly.

"It's fine, as long as you're safe. You do have a tendency to get yourself into trouble anyways!" The man said, giving another laugh. "And…who is this lady you brought home with you? Did my daughter already get herself a bride?~" He then said teasingly.

"D-dad! She's not!" Colette yelled, suddenly flustered. She then took a moment to recollect herself. "S-she came out from one of the portals. She doesn't have a place to stay, so I offered to let her stay with us. Is that okay, dad?" 

"Hm…well, we do have a room for her. Very well - I'm not one to refuse helping people!" Her father responded with another laugh. "Now what is your name, little miss?" 

"C-call me Witch…" Witch responded, recovering from the dash that Colette dragged her on slightly. "Thank you for letting me stay here, sir!" 

"Ah, it's no problem." The man said. "My name is Marco. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything!" 

"T-thank you again, Mr. Marco!" Witch said.

"That's Mr. LaBlanc to you!" Marco said, laughing again.

"Um...your dad laughs a lot, doesn't he, Colette?" Witch whispered.

"Yeah, it's…kinda his thing. He's a really cheerful guy, and it shows." Colette whispered back, mildly embarrassed.

"Well, it is quite late now…are you girls up for a dinner?" Marco then asked them.

"YEAH!" Both Colette and Witch shouted together. 

"Haha! Alright then, let's head to the dining room!" Marco said, leading the two into another room.

* * *

The three were now sat at a dining table. Marco had made clam chowder - he had to quickly make a third bowl of it, since he wasn't expecting a guest, but it didn't take long. Now, Witch was quickly chowing down her meal. 

"Mmm…this is delicious!" Witch said in delight between bites.

"Dad's cooking is the best, isn't it?" Colette exclaimed, also eating from her own bowl.

"Haha! You flatter me too much, both of you!" Marco said heartily, eating as well.

"But it's true, dad! You know I _love_ your food!" Colette said.

"I agree! This is really good stuff!" Witch exclaimed happily. While Colette may be embarrassed by her father's laughter, she had to admit that his cheerfulness is contagious.

"Thank you, thank you!" Marco said as the three continued their meal. "So, I'm assuming she'll be taking the empty room, Colette?"

"Yep! I told her about it already!" Colette answered. "It…does mean that I'll have to clean it up, hehe…"

"Well, you better finish your meal quickly then! That room is a mess, if I have to say!" Marco said, laughing once more. 

Colette didn't say anything, nodding as she continued eating.

* * *

** _"Meteor!"_ **  
**Potions and Cantrips**  
**Witch**

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, the two girls were looking at their spare room.

"W-wow. And I thought my place in my world was bad." Witch commented, dumbstruck.

The room was a complete mess. Boxes filled with various things were strewn about and stacked, with many other objects simply scattered on the floor. In the middle of it was Colette, trying to clean up.

"Heheh...we...kinda used this room as storage for what we didn't want to unpack yet. It got pretty bad fast, as you can see…" Colette explained, running around the room and moving things. "Unf! W-Wicchi, sorry, can you help me out here? This thing is too heavy!" She then yelled as she tried to lift a particularly large box.

"Here, um, let me…" Witch said, running over to help Colette. "Unf! This really is heavy!" Though she struggled as well, the two eventually managed to move the large box to a corner of the room.

"Ugh...man, I wish I brought some of my potions…" Witch complained.

"Huh. You have potions back in your world?" Colette asked as she continued to move the rest of the boxes.

"Potions are my specialty!" Witch boasted pridefully. "It comes with the territory of being a witch, after all!" 

"Ah, right, right." Colette said. "By the way, I wanted to ask…a witch named Witch. Was that intentional, or…?" 

"Oh, well…truth is, I'm not actually a full witch yet." Witch explained. "In my world, witches don't actually get names until they pass a particular exam. I was about to take it, but then…that...happened." She then chuckled softly. "So I guess I'm just stuck with Witch until the end of time, now."

"Aw…" Colette said sadly. "Well, you're not in your world anymore, are you? You could pick a name for yourself here!" 

"...I...actually haven't thought of that." Witch said, surprised by Colette's suggestion. "I don't even know what I'd name myself yet…"

"Well, take your time. No use rushing things like this!" Colette said as she placed one last box in a pile. "Aaand…there we go! Should be enough for you!" 

"Yeah, this should be good. Thank you, Colette!" Witch responded. The room was neater now, with all the boxes put neatly into a corner. Colette had also laid out a mattress for her already.

"Alrighty! Though this room is a bit bland…" Colette spoke. "Hey, wanna spend time in my room? I can show you a slumber party!" 

"Y-yeah, sure!" Witch said, now intrigued at the idea of a slumber party. The way Colette put it, it sounded quite fun.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the girls were now running around Colette's room, whacking each other with pillows.

"Taaake THIS!" Colette shouted as she jumped, preparing to whack Witch over the head with a pillow.

"Ahhhhh! Nooooo!" Witch yelled as she tried to block with her own pillow, to no avail - she was rapidly hit by Colette. "Stop iiiiiit! Hahahaha!" 

"Hah! Hyah! You're finished, Wicchi!" Colette said as she continued whacking Witch, laughing as well.

"No I'm not! Take THIS!" Witch yelled, suddenly swinging her pillow into Colette's side.

"Ah! Oh no! A counterattack!" Colette yelled as she fell over. "Noooo! Have mercy!" 

"I will not! Take it all!" Witch yelled as she continued whacking Colette back, as Colette just yelled and laughed.

A long while of roughhousing later, Colette and Witch collapsed on the bed.

"Hah…that was…surprisingly fun!" Witch said, panting quietly.

"It's really silly, but I love it, hehe…" Colette said, also panting. Both of them were quite worn out by the battle.

"You were right, this is fun! I love slumber parties!" Witch exclaimed.

"Yeah, isn't it!?" Colette said. "Now…how about we do something else a bit less…tiring?"

"Sure? What would that be?" Witch then asked.

"Hm...you know what, we actually haven't talked to each other about ourselves yet. How about we do that?" Colette suggested.

"Hm...yeah, sure. I'm up for it!" Witch said.

* * *

** _"Welding!"_ **  
**Gadgeteer Geek**  
**Colette LaBlanc**

* * *

The two girls were now sat on the side of Colette's bed. Colette was swinging her legs, while Witch sat still.

"So, Wicchi." Colette started. "You said you made Potions. How good are you at that?" 

"Well…I like to think I'm good, but my potions have a nasty habit of blowing up in my face." Witch said sheepishly. "I'm really not very good, especially if the potion requires rare ingredients. I have a few recipes that I have down pat, though!" 

"Ooh ooh! What kind of potions do you really know how to make?" Colette asked, excited.

"Well, it's mostly the very basic ones. Lesser healing potions, lesser strength potions, those kinds of things." Witch answered. "One potion I'm proud of knowing how to make, though, is the chirping potion! It's silly, but it makes you unable to speak in anything but bird chirps."

"Wow, that…sounds really good at parties!" Colette said. "Does it let you understand birds as well?"

"Well, no…I'm still trying to work that out, heheh…" Witch said. "It's oddly popular back in my world, as well. Sometimes I'd hear random people suddenly chirping in the lunch hall."

"Oh, god! School pranks!" Colette said, suddenly bursting into laughter. "Did anyone ever get in trouble for that?" 

"Not that I know of!" Witch said, laughing alongside Colette. "Anyways…what about you? Is there anything you particularly like?" 

"Inventing!" Colette answered. "I haven't shown you it yet, but my dad and I have a workshop downstairs. We make all sorts of stuff together!" 

"Wow! What kind of things do you make?" Witch asked, now excited as well.

"All kinds of things! I've made robot arms, a top, even a full-on drone, once!" Colette said.

"A drone?" Witch then asked.

"It's a machine that you can control from a distance. It's incredibly useful!" Colette explained. "Nowadays, it's in the workshop, carrying things for us."

"Wow. That sounds useful!" Witch exclaimed delightedly.

"Haha! It definitely is!" Colette spoke. "We call it Dylan the drone. I can show it to you tomorrow!"

"Sure! I'd like to meet Dylan the drone!" Witch said, laughing.

"Oh, another question. Your broom is how you use magic, right?" Colette then asked.

"Yep!" Witch responded in the affirmative. "Beyond just spells, really good witches can ride them and fly as well! I'm not that good yet, though…"

"Ah, so witches flying on brooms are real!" Colette said happily.

"What about you? You're a magic user too, right? What do you use to cast?" Witch then asked back.

"Well...to be honest, I don't really have one solid casting vector." Colette responded. "My teachers praise me for my versatility because of it, but it means my magical power suffers a bit."

"I see…so you use multiple objects to cast?" Witch spoke.

"Something like that, yeah." Colette said. "I cycle between a lot of things - I kinda wanna focus on my top now, though, since Maguro challenged me to a battle of the toys."

"Maguro…that was the boy with long and purple hair, right?" Witch said.

"That's him." Colette confirmed. "Oh, another thing I've been meaning to ask…how old are you?"

"Hm? Why'd you ask?" Witch then said.

"I'm just curious." Colette admitted. "You look pretty young, so…"

Witch suddenly laughed. "Hahaha…Colette, I'm actually 179 years old!" 

"W-WHAT!?" Colette yelled in shock.

"Witches are generally very long lived, haha!" Witch explained. "Good to know I still look quite well!"

"Um…w-wow…" Colette said, trying to recollect herself again. "And over all those years…you've never had a slumber party."

"Nope." Witch responded simply.

"Well...I'm glad to be the first to teach you, I guess!" Colette said, now laughing as well.

"Colette! Have you and your friend showered yet?" A male voice suddenly yelled from downstairs.

"O-oh, right! Going now, dad!" Colette yelled back. "Well, I'll be off. Try not to break anything in my room!" She then said, walking out of the room.

"I won't!" Witch yelled back as Colette closed the door.

* * *

They spent the rest of the night doing various things - Colette showed Witch games on her phone, and she also taught her a few silly games to play. And later, they started another pillow fight.

They both slept quite late that day, but it didn’t matter. They both had fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Girls being girls, I guess.
> 
> Not gonna lie, when I first designed Colette, I actually had Lucca from Chrono Trigger in mind. Of course, her personality and appearance is different now, but she was a major inspiration. In turn, Marco was partially inspired by Taban as well.  
Now, in case this wasn't very clear before, I'll say it now: the parent OCs will likely not be very important to the story - they're honestly mostly there just to make it believable and not a bunch of teenagers somehow living alone with no help.  
Puyo wiki says Witch's canon age is 13. I say baloney - Witch appeared when Schezo was roughly _17_ in Madou Monogatari ARS. And he's now 180 or so due to immortality shenanigans. Of course, it could've been, you know, another witch, but I like this headcanon better.
> 
> Now, I actually have quite a few things to talk about here. First, more schedule talk. I'm actually off school for a month now, so I might potentially be updating a bit more frequently during this month. We'll see. More importantly, though, I've been working on another, _very_ different project on the side. It'll still be roughly based on the Puyo verse, but it'll be more crossover-focused, due to...the very nature of it. The first chapter should be posted soon - stay tuned if that interests you.
> 
> Next and last but not least, the R trio - Rulue, Ragnus, and Raffina. See you then.


	14. Chapter 13: Royal Retreat - Ragnus, Rulue & Raffina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raffina's house is quite a luxurious place - befitting of the two guests that will be living there. Hopefully, Raffina wouldn’t have to deal with too much craziness.

“...so...a woman who prefers class?” Raffina inquired.

“Ho ho ho...of course. As the fighting queen, I desire only the best possible lodging for myself~” Rulue said, with a voice of authority that would make people believe her to be an actual queen. She really wasn’t - that was just a title she came up for herself - but no one needed to know that.

“Heheh...you’ve picked the right place, then. I feel like mother would like you.” Raffina said, smirking.

Meanwhile, Ragnus was trailing behind them, not really saying anything. He had a thoughtful look on his face - Raffina noticed, but she decided not to press.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 13: Royal Retreat - Ragnus, Rulue & Raffina**

* * *

Raffina rang the doorbell.

They had arrived at Raffina’s house - well, mansion, really. It stood quite far from the library, and it was very large and regal-looking. After a moment, she opened the door and signaled for the others to follow her.

“I’m home, mother.” Raffina called out as she stepped inside.

“Ah, Raffina. Come in.” A woman answered her.

As Rulue and Ragnus entered, they could see the woman that spoke - she was wearing a white corset, along with a long and frilly golden skirt. Her hair was down, but it was smooth and flowing - it has obviously been well taken care of.

“And you two...you must be the guests that my daughter mentioned?” The lady asked the two.

“We are.” Ragnus stated, taking a slight bow. “My name is Ragnus. I must thank you for being so willing to shelter us.”

“Ah...a young man wearing a knight’s armor…?” Raffina’s mother said, sounding slightly surprised. “Those from the portals truly are a quirky bunch, aren’t they? Ho ho ho…” She then took a moment to straighten out herself. “Ah, but where are my manners to my guests…? I am Lady Julianne Amaryllis, and I am Raffina’s mother. It is nice to meet you both.” She finished with a warm smile.

“It is nice to meet you too, Lady Julianne.” Rulue said, bowing slightly as well. She had noticed the air of authority around the woman - it reminded her of herself, frankly. _If Schezo was here, he’d probably be poking me about bowing to someone else...tch. I know how to show respect to someone who deserves it~_ She thought quietly as she continued. “I am Rulue Riyoshi. You may also call me Lady Rulue, if you do not mind~”

“Of course, Lady Rulue. A fellow woman like you would be deserving of such a title.” Julianne smiled warmly as she raised a hand to cover her mouth. “Ho ho ho…”

Rulue responded in kind, covering her own mouth with a fan she had pulled out. “Ho ho ho ho ho!”

Raffina...well, if sweatdropping was real, she’d do that right now. As it stands, however, she just had an incredulous look on her face. _Seems I was right. They’re already getting along...and where did Rulue get that fan of hers from!?_

“Ah, but before I get carried away...Kikimora!” Julianne suddenly called out. At that, a young woman with blonde hair wearing an orange and white maid uniform ran in.

“Yes, miss?” The woman - presumably the aforementioned Kikimora - spoke loudly.

“Please show our guests their rooms. I assume you have already cleaned them as I have ordered?” Julianne commanded.

“Of course, miss! Nothing is more important than cleanliness for me!” Kikimora shouted. She then turned to Rulue and Ragnus. “Please follow me, you two!”

They promptly obeyed and followed the maid as she went off in another direction.

“And you, dear Raffina...just take a seat and rest for now, alright? Dinner should be done in less than half an hour.” Julianne then said, turning to Raffina.

“A-ah, yes. Thank you, mother.” Raffina said, then went over to a large couch, taking a seat. It’d be a while before their meal - she had plenty of time to rest. _And I’m also tired from the rescue mission, believe it or not…_ She thought as she sunk into the couch.

* * *

“So...Lady Rulue, was it?” Ragnus spoke. He, along with Kikimora and Rulue, were just walking along quietly, so he decided to strike up some small talk.

“Yes, and...Ragnus, was it?” Rulue responded in kind.

“Yes, that would be me.” He answered. “I’m afraid I don’t know you very well. It seems you know Arle, though she has never told me about you.”

“Mmm…” Rulue made a sound - Ragnus wasn’t sure if it was one of dissatisfaction or something else. “Well, have you heard of my dear Satan?”

“Satan? Of course I’ve heard of him. Lord of hell, I believe?”

“That would be him~”

“Mhm. Well, I’ve heard of him, but I’ve never truly encountered him in person, though Arle has told me plenty about him. Most of my adventures with her involved other, darker entities.” Ragnus explained. “Though from what I’ve heard about him, Satan does not seem like a pleasant person to be around…”

“Don’t talk about my dear dark prince like that!” Rulue suddenly snapped, before taking a deep breath. “He may cause a lot of trouble according to Arle, but he’s truly a gorgeous man beneath it all...oh, his beautiful horns...his dazzling, green hair~” She swooned.

“...are you...his partner?” Ragnus said with a confused expression on his face.

“Ho ho ho...as I’ve told the others when I explained our story, I have expressed my love for him many times, but he still does not accept it…” Rulue said, chuckling.

“Ah...I...see.” Ragnus said with a disbelieving expression.

“Alright, you two, here are the two guest rooms!” Kikimora suddenly called out. “Pick whichever one you like. Just make sure to keep it as clean as possible! ...if only for my sake…”

Rulue and Ragnus nodded as they parted ways.

* * *

** _"Clear the mind."_ **  
**The Fighting Queen**  
**Rulue Riyoshi**

* * *

As promised by Julianne, dinner was done half an hour later. After Kikimora called Rulue and Ragnus out of their rooms, everyone was now in the dining hall. It was not very large, since the amount of residents in the mansion was quite small, but it was still quite fancy - a large chandelier hung over a large table in the middle of the room, which everyone sat around. As everyone was taking their seats, Kikimora served the food to the table.

“And...there we go! That’s the last of it this meal! Bon appetit!” She stated as she put a covered plate down on the table, then took off out of the room. At that, everyone promptly began to uncover the plates set on the table and began eating.

As they did, Julianne decided that it would be good to strike up some conversation. “So, you two lovely guests…” The woman began. “Would you mind telling me more about yourselves? Since you will be living with us for a while, I believe it would be nice to get to know you both more.”

“If I may, Lady Julianne.” Ragnus spoke up first. “As you may have gathered from my armor, I was a warrior back in the old world. Specifically, my title is the Light Warrior. The old world is one filled with many foul abominations...my job is to slay them, or give assistance to the one doing so.”

“Abominations…? Was your world a dangerous one?” Julianne inquired.

Ragnus nodded, responding in the affirmative. “It was a world of adventure. There were many monsters that roam the world - some are friendly, while others are...far more destructive.”

“The reason they’re here now is because they lost a fight with a particularly cruel one, I believe…” Raffina added, remembering the “Creator” Arle briefly mentioned. _Pretty ironic name, when I think about it…_ She thought silently.

“I see. You both have my sympathies.” Julianne spoke quietly. “I do hope this world will be a much friendlier one than yours was.”

“It already is much better, milady.” The warrior responded. “I have not seen a single monster here that wasn’t originally from our world yet, and people like you have kindly welcomed us into your homes. For that, I thank you.”

“Ho ho ho…it is no problem. Kindness should not be a rarity anywhere, after all.” The lady said with a soft chuckle. “Now, Lady Rulue? The title of Lady implies royalty, or at least a high status. Where you one in your old world?”

“Hm.” Rulue paused a bit as she took another bite of the steak in front of her, then she answered. “While I am not quite royalty, I came from a very rich and famous household. After my parents passed away, I inherited their riches and became Lady of the Riyoshi household.”

“Ah...my condolences for your parents.” Julianne responded sympathetically.

The other lady simply scoffed in response. “Tch...do not mourn them. They were monsters on their own...while they are the reason I am who I am now, they are not people deserving of respect.”

Julianne seemed shocked at the statement. After a pause, she finally stated simply, “...I understand. I will not inquire further.”

“That...would be appreciated.” Rulue responded as she went back to her meal.

Raffina continued eating and said nothing, but she looked away sadly.

“...now, then.” The lady then spoke, trying to break the silence that followed. “What are you two’s plans from now on? While I will not rush you into leaving this manor, I would like to know if you have any plans for moving out one day.”

“Of course I am~” Rulue answered with a haughty tone. “Even if I have left all my treasures at home, I shall be rebuilding the Riyoshi household here, no matter how much work I must go through for it~”

“I see, I see. It would be interesting to have another high-class household in Primp Town, ho ho ho.” The lady responded with mild excitement. “And what about you, then, Sir Ragnus?”

That surprised the light warrior. “S-Sir Ragnus?”

“Of course. You do dress like a knight, after all. I had figured that the title of “Sir” would be appropriate for you.” Julianne explained.

“I...no one’s ever called me by that title before…” Ragnus said, sounding slightly flustered. “But, very well. I’m planning to move out whenever I can, as well. I would prefer not to burden you with my presence for longer than necessary.”

“I see. Would you both like my assistance in finding a job, then?” Julianne suggested. “With a recommendation from me, it should be easier than normal to get into whichever job you wish.”

“Ho ho ho...the gesture is appreciated, but I’d prefer to be on my own merits, Lady Julianne.” The fighting queen responded, refusing the offer.

“...I believe I’ll take the offer.” The light warrior, however, responded otherwise. “Truth to be told, I’ve...never done much beyond fighting beasts. I’ll likely need some assistance in even getting the most basic job…”

“Very well then, Sir Ragnus.” Julianne spoke warmly, the title flustering Ragnus once more. “We can look for a job for you tomorrow. However, I believe we should get new clothing for you, first...a knight’s armor is hardly fitting attire for work in this world.”

“A-ah, of course. Yes, a better attire would be more fitting for this world, wouldn’t it?” Ragnus said.

Raffina just listened to the conversation quietly with a small smile. It was nice that they’re already adapting to life here quite well.

* * *

** _"A hero always prevails!"_ **  
**The Light Warrior**  
**Ragnus Bisashi**

* * *

After their dinner, everyone headed over to their rooms to rest for the rest of the evening. Raffina opened the door to her own room, already feeling a bit tired.

Her room was quite beautiful - a large bed sat in the middle of the room, and there was a large desk off to a corner that held her computer, among many other things. Next to the bed, there was a large shelf embedded into the wall, each slot filled with a decorative object like a doll or a vase filled with fake flowers. The walls were painted in a calming light blue, and gold decor covered them. 

As Raffina entered, she immediately went to her bed and sunk into it.

_Ugh, what a day…_ She thought, exhaustion evident even in her mind. _Those two are nice, but...today was exhausting in general. I was never an outdoors person for a reason…_

She then pulled out her phone. _Wonder how the others are doing. Hopefully better than me._

* * *

chad raffina: Hey how’s everyone rn  
chad raffina: I’m in my room and I’m hella tired  
chad raffina: Those two are in their rooms I have no idea what they’re doing  
bugs,: hi  
chad raffina: Oh hi sig  
chad raffina: Did klug tell you what’s going on yet  
bugs,: yes  
bugs,: wish i could help but my house is filled with bugs  
chad raffina: Understandable have a good day  
abbl: well, my parents chewed me out for coming home late  
abbl: but otherwise im doing fine  
babey: do you need help?  
chad raffina: Nah I’ll be fine they can handle themselves  
chad raffina: Wonder how the other three are doing rn  
chad raffina: Not that colette is in this chat but  
Pretty boy ⭐: we could add her but it wouldn’t exactly be 5/1 anymore would it ⭐  
chad raffina: Fair  
chad raffina: **@GGdSCI @flowers!** Wyd  
flowers!: I’m playing scythe with arle!  
chad raffina: What  
flowers!: It’s a board game!  
chad raffina: Oh  
chad raffina: Legit thought you were throwing scythes around your room for a bit there  
flowers!: SHFDSKLJILAL NO!  
chad raffina: Speaking of which where the hell is klug right now

* * *

Meanwhile, Rulue was looking out the window to her room.

Her room was less fancy than Raffina’s, given that it’s a guest room, but it was still very nice. The walls were painted plain white, a makeup station sat in a corner of the room with a small closet next to it, and a relatively small bed lay in the middle of it all.

More important, though, was the reason Rulue was looking out her window in the first place: she could see blasts of light and dark attacks coming from a street some distance away. While she didn’t recognize the light attacks, she knew exactly where the dark magic was coming from.

“Tch...so Schezo has already gotten himself into a fight. How typical of him.” The fighting queen scoffed. “Always so aggressive for magical power...even though I can persist just fine without any of it~”  
The woman then went to check the closet. There were some plain nightgowns inside it already. “Hm...it is nice of them to offer up a change of clothes. I must admit that sleeping within my dress, while possible, would not have been comfortable.”

She took one out - it was a plain, light blue one with dark blue outlines of flowers dotting it. She then began changing out of her dress into the gown. As she did, the queen began thinking silently.

_...this world is quite different from the old one. It seems to be more technologically advanced here...which means there are potentially more jobs than there ever was in the old world._

As she finished putting on her change of clothes, she went to her bed and sat on the side of it as she continued.

_I shall have to look for one with the most income possible...would this mean needing to work multiple jobs? Or would there be one that would be best fitted to me?_

Rulue then began laying down on her bed. While she wouldn’t admit it, the day’s ordeals have been quite draining for her, as well.

_Ho ho ho...I suppose I’ll have to research on my own tomorrow~_

* * *

Ragnus’s room, meanwhile, was filled with shouting.

He had already switched for one of the more comfortable clothes he found in the closet. His golden armor was set next to said closet. Finally, Ragnus himself was swinging his sword methodically at the air, shouting battlecries all the while.

_Even in this new dimension…_ The light warrior thought as he swung his sword carefully, hitting an imaginary target. _...I must not lose sight of my training. Dark, foul beasts can appear at any time, regardless of how safe it seems to be…_

He did a few more practice swings. And finally, he stopped.

_Lady Julianne called me a knight...and I will serve that duty._ He continued thinking. _I am the light warrior, after all...and I am no warrior if I cannot fight._

As he finished that thought, he looked out the window. From behind a row of houses, he could see a brief burst of dark magic, before it was overwhelmed by a large blast of light. Then, the fighting seemed to stop. The sight caused Ragnus to giggle.

“Hehehehe...it seems the dark mage was trounced. Still as weak as ever, I see…”

And suddenly, at the end of that statement, Ragnus began to shrink.

“Oh, nononononono! Not now!” Ragnus yelled in protest, to no avail. “Why did my curse have to activate noooooow!?”

He kept shrinking, and eventually, it stopped, with him now looking more like a 10 year old. At that, Ragnus promptly went to his bed in frustration.

_Ugh, now I’ll have to explain my curse to the others…_ He complained internally as he laid down. He was not dealing with this right now. _And Schezo will never let me hear the end of this…!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that would be the last of them.
> 
> Okay, so gonna be honest right away: the R trio thing was entirely unintentional. It just...worked out that way as I planned things.  
Yes, I know Kikimora should actually be a Madou character. I counter with: alternate universe. I'm actually already planning on relocating a few more characters to being Puyo world native rather than Madou native. You'll see soon enough.  
I actually originally planned to completely exclude Ragnus's curse - couldn't find a good way to work it in initially. I think I've got something good in mind now, though, so 10 year old Ragnus is real, but he probably can't hurt you.
> 
> Next up, the next day, finally. See you then.


	15. Chapter 14: Still in the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chaos definitely didn’t end with just that day. There were still plenty to do...but first, two girls must face each other and try not to die from embarrassment.

GGdSCI: I’m back.

GGdSCI: Just had to fight Schezo because he wanted to take Ayashii for himself.

chad raffina: Wow ok

chad raffina: I’m not even gonna ask

GGdSCI: Good.

GGdSCI: Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m showering and going to bed. I’m tired.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 14: Still in the Storm**

* * *

Amitie blinked.

She had turned off her alarm for that day - apparently, her school had decided to close down for the next couple of days as the entire town sorts out the portal incident, and honestly, she was thankful for it - it also allows her time to help the new residents adjust to their life here.

But even with the alarm off, it seems she still woke up early - she could obviously see that it was still dark outside. She tried to blink awake, wondering what could have woke her up, since she was far from a light sleeper...and she got her answer almost immediately.

Arle was sobbing. Hard.

“A-Arle?” Amitie whispered in concern.

Arle didn’t respond, or at least, not coherently. She continued sobbing. “...no…I…*hic*...”

“Arle! Wake up!” Amitie raised her voice.

“N-no! Stay away!” Arle yelled, seemingly unresponsive to the red girl.

“Arle, p-please! Wake up!” Amitie was yelling now.

“NO! CREATOR, PLEASE DON’T!” Arle then screamed, jumping up and suddenly tackle-hugging Amitie.

“A-Arle…” Amitie muttered.

Arle was silent for a while, but tears still fell from her eyes. “A-Amitie…” She then suddenly held Amitie tighter and began to sob into her shoulder. “I-I’m sorry...I’m sorry you have to see me like this…”

Amitie could do nothing but pat her back, trying to comfort her. “It’s okay, Arle…”

“...I…” Arle tried to speak through her sobbing. “...m-my old world…”

“...it hurts, doesn’t it?” Amitie asked sympathetically. “I-I understand...losing so much like that...it has to hurt...I really understand…”

“...it does…” Arle said in despair. Then she broke into a tear-filled rant. “I-I failed, Amitie! Because of me, so many people - and even monsters - probably died! And those that made it here…*sob*...they lost everything! And it’s...it’s my fault! If only I had defeated that damn Creator bastard-!”

“Arle!” Amitie suddenly shouted. “...you tried your best, didn’t you?”

“Y-yes…” Arle said quietly.

“Then it’s not your fault.” Amitie said comfortingly. “The others told us about you...you’re strong, Arle. According to them, as strong as they come. If you really are that powerful, and you still failed...there’s nothing any of them could’ve done. You tried your best, and that’s enough.”

“I want to believe that, Amitie!” Arle suddenly yelled. “I really do...but I keep thinking to myself…what if I trained even harder? Would I have defeated him then? What if I didn’t tell Schezo to go away? Would he be enough to help me defeat a god - let me repeat, a _god_ \- or would he have died with me? I-I didn’t want him to die...that’s why I told him...but now I keep thinking if it could’ve turned out differently! And now…” She then broke down even harder. “Now I don’t even know if the Creator is gonna come back for us…”

“...it’s okay, Arle. It’s okay to cry now…” Amitie said, hugging Arle back. She was starting to tear up now, too, from watching her friend be in so much sorrow...it hurts for her, too. She didn’t like seeing anyone so sad like that.

But yet, in spite of the tears flowing, Amitie felt something...odd.

She felt warm, somehow.

And unbeknownst to her, even Arle is feeling that same warmth.

* * *

“...girls...wake yet…?”

Amitie could hear something muffled through her door. She blinked drowsily as she awoke once more.

“...guess not. I have to go to work now - take care of yourself, okay?”

“...ah, that’s mom...okay…” Amitie whispered, beginning to close her eyes once more. “A few more minutes…”

And her eyes immediately shot open upon noticing three things.

One, it was now quite bright out.

Two, she was still hugging Arle.

And three, Arle (who was still fast asleep) was still hugging her.

_Um...what the heck am I supposed to do now!?_ Amitie thought, mildly panicking at the situation. She was already blushing quite hard because of it.

Thankfully, Arle began to stir not too long after. “...mmm…” She moaned as she blinked awake...and quickly noticed that she was hugging Amitie.

“AAAAAAAAAHHH!”

* * *

A couple minutes later, and the girls were now sheepishly sat next to each other on the bed, both of them with red cheeks.

“Um...I…” Amitie tried to speak, but she was too flustered to properly form words.

“I-I’m so sorry that you had to...w-wake up to that…” Arle was more coherent, but just barely.

“I-it’s...it’s okay…” Amitie stuttered out. “You...y-you probably needed it…”

“S-still, I’m...sorry…this is so a-awkward…” Arle said, covering her face.

“I-it’s really okay…” Amitie tried to reassure her, then her voice lowered into a whisper. “A-and besides...I...kinda liked it…”

“...d-did you say something?” Arle suddenly spoke.

“N-no! Nothing, Arle!” Amitie quickly yelled, looking away from Arle with a massive blush on her face...but she couldn’t hide it for long.

“Gu gugugu gugu gu.” Carbuncle suddenly piped up. Neither of the girls noticed that he was already up.

“W-WHAT!? CARBY!? A-AMITIE!?” Arle suddenly yelled.

There was a brief pause as Amitie processed what had just happened. Then, she realized that Carbuncle probably just repeated what she whispered.

“W-W-W-WHAT THE HELL!? CARBUNCLEEEE!” She then screamed, jumping on Carbuncle and shaking him wildly. “YOU TRAITOOOOOOOOR!”

“G-gu gugu gugu!” Carbuncle chirped, seemingly trying to get Amitie to stop shaking him. She obviously didn’t, partly from not understanding him and partly just from sheer embarrassment. Meanwhile, Arle just looked on, suffering from secondhand embarrassment too. She’d normally stop Amitie, but honestly, he deserved it this time for repeating Amitie’s whisper.

After quite a bit of time had passed - none of them were sure how long Amitie shook Carbuncle for - she finally let go of the rabbit creature, leaving him to stagger around dizzily. “Gu gu gu…”

Meanwhile, Amitie covered her face with both her hands, completely flustered by what just happened.

Arle just looked away, her face red as a beet. “U-um...Amitie…”

“I’m sorryyyyyyyyyy!” Amitie wailed through her hands. “Please forget I said anythiiiiiiing!”

“Um, I-I was gonna say…” Arle said, looking away even more. “...that I l-liked it too…”

The two girls then looked at each other in the eye...for all of a few seconds before both of them turned away.

_S-she liked it…?_ Amitie thought, her face covered with red. _I-I mean...I liked it too...but...I feel so embarrassed about it…_ She then put a hand on her chest, feeling her own heartbeat. _And why the heck is my heart pounding like crazy like this!?_

One pregnant pause later, Amitie finally broke the silence. “Um...let’s just...I-I mean, I’m just...gonna go shower now, alright?”

“Y-yeah, go ahead…” Arle said, quiet but just loud enough for Amitie to hear. At that, Amitie grabbed her towel and left.

“G-gugu gu?” Carbuncle then chirped, finally recovering from his daze.

“...Carby, can you leave the room for a bit? I-I need some time to...to think.” Arle commanded. Carbuncle promptly obeyed and left the room, leaving Arle alone.

Arle then collapsed back down on the bed, with her hand on her chest.

_I...I feel weird…_ She thought quietly. _My heart is beating really fast, and I...I feel really warm, somehow…_

She then rolled over on her side. _And usually, I...don’t really like physical contact with anyone other than Carby, but with Amitie, I...didn’t mind it at all...I liked it, even._

_...I’ve never felt like this before...what’s going on with me…?_

* * *

A bit over half an hour later, the two girls (plus Carbuncle) had just finished breakfast. They both had an unspoken agreement to not talk about what happened earlier in the morning, even though neither of them could really stop thinking about it. A rapidly beating heart resulting from looking at someone is something pretty hard to ignore, after all.

Amitie finally decided to check her phone for the first time of the day, and was surprised by a new notification.

“8:42 AM - FloweryDresses has invited you to group chat: Puyo Squad”

_Huh, a new group…?_ Amitie thought as she accepted the invitation.

* * *

_**RosieRedHearts** joined the group._

FloweryDresses: Oh there you are

GGdSCI: I still think we could’ve come up with a better name than Puyo Squad.

GGdSCI: Oh, hello, Amitie.

RosieRedHearts: Hello everyone!

RosieRedHearts: Sorry for being late I kinda slept in today haha

PurityGears: heya Amitie!

RosieRedHearts: Oh hello!

RosieRedHearts: That’s colette right?

PurityGears: yep that’s me!

MathematicsApples: hey ami!

FloweryDresses: Alright so to sum up this chat it’s meant for general chats that’s for people more than our class alone

FloweryDresses: Mother’s already thinking of getting a phone for rulue and ragnus so I figured this would be a nice idea

RosieRedHearts: Wait huh?

RosieRedHearts: You’re getting those two phones already?

FloweryDresses: Mother’s idea not mine

RosieRedHearts: No I think it’s a cool idea!

RosieRedHearts: I’d get Arle one as well but I don’t think we have the money for it haha

PurityGears: Wicchi’s been wanting a phone ever since i showed her some games on mine.

PurityGears: not sure if dad would be okay with buying her one though.

FloweryDresses: I could ask mother and see if she’d be willing to get one for you all as well

FloweryDresses: Cheap but still good phones does exist you know

PurityGears: that’d be nice!

GGdSCI: I...honestly don’t know what Schezo would do with a phone.

lilygreens: um on a different topic

lilygreens: did we invite tartar?

FloweryDresses: I did but he decided not to join until he’s back in primp

lilygreens: ah

_**beetlbeetlblu** joined the group._

GGdSCI: Oh, there you are, Sig!

beetlbeetlblu: hi klug

FloweryDresses: Oh of course you’re the first to respond to sig

GGdSCI: ...what’s that supposed to mean?

MathematicsApples: it means 👁️

FloweryDresses: 👀

GGdSCI: Oh no, not again…

GGdSCI: You do know I have no idea what the eyes mean, right?

FloweryDresses: Good

FloweryDresses: Means ringo and I can keep teasing you about it

GGdSCI: H

RosieRedHearts: I don’t know what that means either…

FloweryDresses: I can tell you in dms later

GGdSCI: AND YOU STILL REFUSE TO TELL ME!?

MathematicsApples: yes

GGdSCI: ASGUHDSFJVUODSL

DazzleEyed: d

DazzleEyed: did klug just keysmash?

FloweryDresses: Oh my god he totally did

FloweryDresses: This is a historical moment everyone

GGdSCI: A-ahem. Sorry. Not sure what came over me there.

FloweryDresses: Too late klug I’m marking this day as the day you keysmashed for the first time

DazzleEyed: it’s a national holiday now ⭐

GGdSCI: AHEM. What did we create this chat for in the first place, again?

FloweryDresses: Oh right

FloweryDresses: Fine but you’re not getting away from being teased that easily

GGdSCI: …

FloweryDresses: Okay so **@RosieRedHearts @GGdSCI @PurityGears** what are your plans for today regarding your roommates

RosieRedHearts: I was thinking of taking Arle to the sweet corner first!

GGdSCI: I’m right here, you know. You didn’t need to ping me.

FloweryDresses: Felt like it anyways

PurityGears: same, actually!

PurityGears: then I’ll be taking Witch to dapper’s.

RosieRedHearts: Yeah I need to get new clothes for Arle as well

RosieRedHearts: Mom left me some money for it already!

GGdSCI: I actually didn’t really have a plan yet, so I guess that works.

FloweryDresses: I was thinking of taking my guests to dapper’s right away actually

FloweryDresses: Not sure if rulue would like sweets

FloweryDresses: Though ragnus probably will especially now that he’s a child

RosieRedHearts: ...what?

GGdSCI: What?

beetlbeetlblu: what

DazzleEyed: what?

lilygreens: ?

MathematicsApples: huh?

PurityGears: wait what?

FloweryDresses: SKLJKLSKFUIOSL YOU ALL JUST TYPED THOSE AT THE SAME TIME

FloweryDresses: But yeah apparently Ragnus is literally cursed

FloweryDresses: He sometimes turn into a 10 year old physically

DazzleEyed: so he’s both cursed and babey

FloweryDresses: Yes maguro he’s both cursed and babey

DazzleEyed: what a movie star ⭐

RosieRedHearts: So should we all just meet in front of Lemres’s?

FloweryDresses: Sounds like a plan I guess

PurityGears: yeah I’m okay with it.

GGdSCI: Sure.

RosieRedHearts: Alright! I’ll get going now then!

FloweryDresses: Anyone else up for another candy store treat?

lilygreens: sure

beetlbeetlblu: maybe

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Amitie, Arle, and Carbuncle arrived at Lemres’s Sweets Corner. They both could already see a few others - Raffina was there with a young Ragnus, Lidelle sat off to the side, Colette was there with a Witch who seemed to already be on a preemptive sugar high, and Klug had a very flustered Schezo on the side.

“For the last time, I’m only here because you already planned it out!” Amitie could hear Schezo yell, seemingly in protest.

“...Schezo, you barely complained when I mentioned a candy store. In fact, I swear I could’ve seen sparkles in your eyes…” Klug said in a slightly mocking tone.

“T-tch!” The dark mage tried to protest further, but in the end, he just ended up looking away.

“H-hey, everyone! We’re here!” Amitie yelled at the group.

“Ah, Amitie! Arle! And Carbuncle, too!” Raffina waved back to the pair.

“Gugu!” The rabbit creature chirped in response.

“Well, I guess that’s everyone, then? Unless Sig’s coming, but he’ll probably be late again…”

“Typical Sig.” Klug scoffed with a slight smirk.

“Wait, where’s Rulue?” Arle then asked, noting the obviously missing fighting queen.

“She said she’d rather go off on her own for now.” Raffina said with a shrug.

“Well, we could just get some extra for Sig when he arrives!” Colette eagerly suggested.

The pink-haired girl just shrugged once more in response. “Eh, works for me. Now, let’s get some candy, everyone!”

Everyone promptly cheered as they went inside…

...and was met with the unexpected sight of Dapper Bones already sat on the counter, chatting with Lemres.

“Oh, hey, Oshare.” Raffina greeted the skeleton. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Ah, welcome, everyone!” Lemres greeted the group as they entered. “What a massive group you’ve brought today...oh well, take your seats~”

“Hello, Raffina!” Dapper answered back to Raffina. “Can’t a skeleton enjoy some sweets?”

“Well, it’d rot your teeth off if you ate too much, wouldn’t it?” Raffina stated in a jokingly mocking tone. “Even we come here twice a week, tops.”

“Hahahahaha!” The skeleton just laughed in response. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that, young miss! I know how to take care of my hygiene!”

“Alright, alright.” The pink-haired girl said with a soft chuckle. “But, Oshare...we’re actually planning on getting new clothes for all the new people after our stop here, so can we expect you back at your shop soon?”

“Ah, of course, young miss! I’ve heard of the people that came from the portals - in fact, I’m preparing a sale for clothes specifically for them!” Dapper said proudly. “I’m actually finished here now, so I should probably get going. See you later, dear Lemres?~”

“Of course, Mr. Dapper. I’ll be seeing you around.” Lemres answered with a chuckle.

“...d-dear Lemres?” Lidelle piped up.

“Hahaha...you don’t need to worry about that right now, Lidelle. If this works out, you’ll find out eventually~” The comet warlock stated.

“A-alright…” The green girl just stated simply in response.

Meanwhile, Raffina grew a smirk, seemingly knowing exactly what’s going on. _Oh, if only Ringo was here as well..._

Lemres just chuckled some more in response. “Now, that aside...what would you all like to order?”

* * *

“So...how’s that cake, Schezo?”

“...it’s good.”

“Hah! See? This isn’t so bad, is it?”

“Tch…”

* * *

“EeeeeeethisicecreamisDELICIOUS!”

“Geez! Wicchi, calm down! You’ve only taken three bites and you’re already acting like you ate an entire tub of pure sugar!”

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”

* * *

“This...this “float”...this is amazing!”

“Told you you’d like it, Ragnus.”

“E-everything around here is really delicious!”

“Oh, Lidelle, you’ve already finished yours?”

“O-oh...ehehehe…”

“You can have some of mine, if you want.”

“O-oh! Thank you, Raffina!”

* * *

“Hey, everyone. Sorry for being late.”

“Oh, there you are, Sig! Just quickly order something, we’re almost done!”

“My normal order, please. Can I sit next to you, Klug?”

“Eh, sure, why not?”

* * *

Amitie and Arle were enjoying their own orders - they both simultaneously ordered strawberry ice cream, which surprised them both.

“Mmm...this stuff is great!” Arle exclaimed in delight. She then went for another bite...right as her spoon clinked with Amitie’s.

She had accidentally went for Amitie’s ice cream.

That caused both of them to begin blushing profusely. “U-uhm…”

“Uh...y-you can take a bite off mine if you want, Arle…” Amitie stated, flustered.

“Um...t-thank you…” Arle said as she took a bite of the ice cream she just got. _I-I just ate Amitie’s ice cream...why’s that making me feel so embarrassed!?_

Raffina, meanwhile, had noticed the little spectacle. She watched with a sly grin on her face. “Hey, Amitie?” She suddenly called out.

“U-um, yeah, Raffina?” Amitie answered, seeming flustered from Arle eating her ice cream.

“Do you wanna go for a brief walk after this? I feel like there’s...something you might wanna talk about…” She continued, the sly grin never leaving her face.

Amitie adopted a panicked look at that. _G-get real...she noticed!? I don’t even know what this is yet!_ She thought as she frantically looked between Arle and Raffina. Eventually, she just sighed. “A-alright...Arle, can you handle yourself clothes shopping? I already gave you the money, after all.”

“Y-yeah, I can. Don’t worry about me!” Arle answered, though she seemed...disappointed, somehow.

“Gu gu?” Carbuncle said, briefly pausing from his own snack - several muffins.

“You’ll be coming with me, Carby.” Arle then said with a small smile, petting Carbuncle. That made him chirp happily.

“Don’t worry, you two. Colette and I can handle Arle and Ragnus, no problem!” Klug affirmed.

“Alright...I’ll trust Arle and Carbuncle with you, then!” Amitie said as she took one last bite from her ice cream, emptying the glass it was residing it. “And I’m done...you done too, Raffina?”

“Yeah, I’ve been done for a while, actually. Gave the rest of mine to Lidelle.” The yellow girl responded, then turned to look at Lidelle. “I won’t be gone long, alright? Just go with those two and help Klug out.” She then said to her.

“O-okay!” Lidelle said with a small smile. “B-be back soon, Raffina!”

“Of course, Lidelle!” Raffina said reassuringly, then turned to the red girl. “Alright, let’s go!”

“Alright!” Amitie said, then they both headed out. They both had a few things to discuss.

**To be continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmmm. More ship teasing, yessss.
> 
> For reference once more, chat usernames:  
RosieRedHearts: Amitie  
FloweryDresses: Raffina  
lilygreens: Lidelle  
GGdSCI: Klug  
beetlbeetlblu: Sig  
MathematicsApples: Ringo  
DazzleEyed: Maguro  
PurityGears: Colette
> 
> Actually, two of those usernames - MathematicsApples and DazzleEyed - is based on actual handles for roleplay accounts for Ringo and Maguro.  
I...honestly have no idea where the idea of Raffina being a romantic tease came from. It just worked out that way, I guess.
> 
> ...okay, let's address the elephant in the room - I missed a week of updating. Truth is, after reading some criticism, I decided to take a break for a bit and see how I could improve on how I tell my story. There's this tumblr post I remember that likened the story you wanted to tell to Van Gogh's Starry Night and the story you actually wrote to a really crude MS Paint imitation - honestly, that's how I feel with my story, after rereading everything I wrote. Hopefully it's all uphill from here, though! Also, to compensate, this chapter is a bit longer than usual.
> 
> Next chapter, a heart to heart, and a particular new character. See you then.


	16. Chapter 15: Playing Cupid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was time for a heart-to-heart between two girls - one very bad at hiding her love, the other quite good at it. Unfortunately, just the two of them won't cut it - they'll need a bit of outside help.

“...wait, did they just ditch us without paying?”

“No, they left some money over there with Lidelle.”

“Y-yeah, it’s here…”

“Oh. Good, then. Alright, Mr. Lemres, check please!”

“Hahaha. You know you don’t need the mister when referring to me, right, Klug?”

“Hah! As if I wouldn’t give the Comet Warlock the respect he deserves!”

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 15: Playing Cupid**

* * *

Meanwhile, Amitie and Raffina were sat next to each other on a bench some distance from Lemres’s shop. Raffina still had a smug grin on her face, while Amitie still seemed embarrassed from the debacle earlier.

“So, um...what did you want me to talk about?” Amitie asked.

“Well...you and Arle seemed to be acting strangely, so I was curious.” Raffina said. “What happened between you two?”

“Well, u-um…” Amitie stuttered out, now even more embarrassed than before. “I-I don’t know why, but this feels really embarrassing to say…!”

“Hey, it’s fine, Amitie. I’m not gonna judge you for it or anything.” Raffina tried to reassure the red - both literally and figuratively - girl.

“W-well, if you say so…” Amitie said, sighing. Then, she explained the events of last night - playing the board game with Arle, sharing her clothes, comforting her after she woke up crying, and the entire thing that happened during the morning. All the while, Raffina’s smirk grew and grew.

“I-I don’t know why, but she...she makes me feel really happy…” Amitie finished. “W...what the heck is up with me…?”

Raffina paused for a bit at that.

And then, she laughed.

“Pfft-ahahahahahahaha!”

“R-Raffina! I thought you said you wouldn’t judge!” Amitie yelled, utterly flustered now.

“Ahahaha! I-I’m not judging, Amitie! It’s just…” Raffina explained through her laughter. “I-it surprised me that you don’t know what that feeling is…”

“T-that feeling…?” Amitie now had a curious look on her face. “You mean...you know what’s going on with me?”

“I do.” The yellow girl answered, nodding. “But...I’m not sure how you’d react to me telling you…”

“T-tell me!” The red girl suddenly shouted. “I wanna know what’s happening to me!”

“Well, if you’re sure. But I hope you’ve braced yourself…” Raffina said with an almost devilish grin on her face.

“I-I’m ready!” Amitie nodded confidently. No matter what it was, she needed to know. However, she really wasn't ready for what the other girl would say next.

“Well, put simply, Amitie…” Raffina said calmly. “...you’re in love with Arle.”

That simple statement hit Amitie like a speeding truck.

“W-W-W-W-WHAAAAAAAAT!?” Amitie _screamed_ upon the statement sinking in.

“There’s nothing else it could be, Amitie.” Raffina affirmed.

“B-b-b-but I’ve only met her a few days ago! How does anyone fall in love that quickly!? And we’re both girls! Does that make me a lesbian!? What about her, does she feel the same? And how am I even gonna tell her about this!?” Amitie spoke really quickly, clearly in a panic.

“A-Amitie, calm down!” Raffina then said. “Come on, it’ll be fine...if she’s your first love, I understand the panic, but trust me. It’ll all work out.”

“A-a-alright…” Amitie said, trying to take deep breaths. “I-I just...you’re right...I’ve never felt like this for anyone before...t-this is all new to me, and I’m...trying to take it all in, still…” She then sighed before putting a hand on her chest. “This...this is what love feels like…?”

“Yeah. It’s a unique feeling, isn’t it? Feels nice.” Raffina said wistfully.

“...Raffina?” Amitie suddenly piped up. “You sound like you know what it feels like, too…”

The pink-haired girl chuckled in response to that. “...yeah, I do.”

There was a pause before the red girl spoke again. “...if you’re okay with me asking...who is it?”

Raffina sighed. “Well...since you trusted me with yours as well, I guess I can tell you.” She then paused before finally answering. “...it’s Lidelle. I...have feelings for Lidelle…” With that, Raffina began to blush as well.

“...huh. Well, she does seem like a nice person…” Amitie said with a small smile. “...when did it happen, if you don’t mind me asking more?”

“It was...during her birthday, back in January.” Raffina explained. “She hugged me in response for my gift for her. Normally, I don’t...really like physical affection like that, but for her, it didn’t feel that bad. I mean, I eventually pushed her off, but...in that moment, it actually felt kinda nice.”

“O-oh.” Amitie said, suddenly realizing something. “Um...sorry for hugging you back during my first days here, then, heheheh…”

“It’s fine, Amitie.” Raffina said with another small smile. “I’m getting better at dealing with it, honestly. But…” She then sighed once more. “...we’re getting off topic. After that day, I began...thinking of her a lot. And feeling flustered when I do. Eventually, with a bit of help from Risukuma, I...realized I’d gotten a crush on her…”

“...wait, Risukuma?” Amitie raised her eyebrows at the new name.

“Ah, right! You haven’t met him yet.” Raffina said in realization. “Risukuma is a senior to us in Primp School, actually - he’s in class 6/2. He came from Surazan as well, though unlike Ringo and Maguro, he has a place to stay here in Primp. He’s...also an expert on love, oddly enough.” She explained.

“An...expert on love?” Amitie questioned.

“Yeah. He’s really good at love advice, somehow. He’s never gotten a partner, himself, but…” Raffina said, with a slight chuckle at that note. “...he’s really good at giving advice to others regarding love. He’s helped me a lot with coming to terms with my crush on Lidelle, and apparently, he’s managed to hook up a few of his classmates as well.”

“Oh, wow.” Amitie said, surprised.

“...you know, I could take you to see him, if you want.” Raffina then suggested. “He’s usually at the library around this time of day - he has a pretty consistent schedule.”

“Y-yeah, that sounds good, actually!” Amitie responded in the positive.

“Alright. Let me lead the way, then!” Raffina said, and the pair went off once more.

* * *

Eventually, the two arrived once more at the Primp Grand Library. And sure enough, there was a man Amitie had never seen before sat at one of the tables.

“Hey, Risukuma!” Raffina called out to the man, who then promptly turned to look at the pair.

Said person had a tanned skin and seemed to be wearing a white lab coat over a black shirt. He had blonde, short hair as well. Next to him was a pile of books on various topics.

Upon noticing Raffina, the man immediately developed a small smile. “Ah, hello, Raffina! And...ah, I don’t believe I know you?”

“I’m Amitie! I just moved into Primp School this year!” The red girl said cheerfully.

“Ah, Amitie! I’ve heard of you from Ringo. Nice to finally see you in person.” Risukuma responded, offering a handshake. Amitie, of course, gladly took it.

“So, what brings you two here today?” The scientist then asked.

“U-um...well…” Amitie then began to stutter, feeling flustered again.

“She’s trying to come to terms with a crush on someone.” Raffina promptly answered for her.

“R-RAFFINA!” The blonde-haired girl yelled at Raffina in protest, blushing furiously.

“What? You had to tell him eventually if you want him to help.” Raffina defended herself, though her face had an utterly unapologetic expression on it.

There was another pause, and Amitie eventually sighed. “I-I guess you’re right…”

“Ah...I see…” Risukuma said with a low chuckle. “So, using me as your go-to love advisor again, Raffina?”

The girl in question just shrugged. “Hey, if it works.”

“Alright, alright.” The scientist stated, then turned to Amitie. “Now, if I may ask...who is it?”

“U-um...it’s...one of the people that came from the portals…” Amitie tried to speak, but she was clearly a bit too flustered to do so fully coherently.

“Amitie…” Raffina suddenly stated in a teasing tone. “If you’re gonna keep beating around the bush, I’ll tell him myself, you know~”

“R-R-RAFFINA! PLEASE DOOOOOOON’T!” Amitie wailed, grabbing onto Raffina.

“Then tell him!~” Raffina said in a sing-song voice, obviously not sorry at all for the teasing she’s doing.

“Now, now, Raffina, don’t tease her so much.” Risukuma interrupted, though he chuckled himself as well. “Though, she is right that you’re hesitating on fully telling me...is something the matter?”

“Well, u-um…” Amitie hesitated some more, but she was trying to answer. “T-their name is Arle, and...well…”

Then, her voice lowered into a whisper. “S-she’s a girl as well…”

Risukuma, to his credit, didn’t hesitate at all before speaking. “Ah, so you’re a lesbian, or at least not straight?”

That made Amitie blush even harder, if that was even possible. She covered her face with both her hands before speaking again. “...y-yeah, I guess I a-am…”

“Now, now, Amitie. There’s nothing wrong with that.” Risukuma stated with a gentle, comforting smile. “I assume that since she’s taken you here, Raffina has told you of her feelings for Lidelle as well?”

Raffina blushed a bit at that, but she nodded in response. “Yeah, I did. And yeah, Amitie, you should know that I’m gay as well. There’s also Oshare, if you’ll remember.”

Amitie still covered her face, but she nodded. “...it’s still e-embarrassing…”

“That’s quite alright.” The love advisor said reassuringly. “Love always feel embarrassing at first, but once you get past that...it’s truly a beautiful thing, with very few exceptions.”

The red girl couldn’t really do anything but nod to that.

“Well, that aside...I have another question for you, if you don’t mind.” Risukuma then stated, which invoked a curious sound from Amitie.

“Do you think she feels the same way?”

And _that_ made Amitie feel flustered again. “I-I don’t know!” She quickly yelled. “I mean, we played games together last night and we had a ton of fun, I l-let her hug me last night while she was crying, and t-this morning, we woke up while h-hugging each other, t-then she told me that she liked it…!”

And that was the straw that broke Risukuma’s back - he burst into laughter. “Kuhahahahahaha!”

And so did Raffina. “Pfft-ahahahahahahahaha!”

“G-GUYS! STOP MAKING FUN OF MEEEEEEE!” Amitie yelled in protest.

“Hahaha...alright, alright. Sorry, Amitie.” Risukuma said, seeming genuinely apologetic in stark contrast to Raffina, who had an evil grin on her face. “But, still...just from that? I think it’s very likely that she - Arle, was it? - does feel the same as you.”

That, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, made Amitie pause. “...she...l-likes me back?”

The scientist nodded. “Almost certainly.” He then made to place a hand on Amitie’s shoulder, only fully doing so once he noted that Amitie didn’t flinch away from it. “Amitie...I’m the expert on love in town for a reason. Trust me when I say this...it’ll eventually work out.”

Amitie sighed, then looked away. “...but then...how do I tell her…?”

“And that’s the hardest part of it all, Amitie.” Raffina then piped up. “Truth is...I’m pretty sure Lidelle does feel the same way for me. And I think even she knows that I feel for her, too.” That surprised the red girl slightly, but the pink one wasn’t done. “But...I’m just not ready to tell her yet, somehow. It’s an irrational worry, but regardless, it’s there, ahaha…”

“O-oh…” Amitie whispered.

There was then a pause between everyone. And suddenly, Amitie grew a small smile.

“Hey, Raffina...h-how about this?” The red girl stated, drawing a curious look from the yellow girl. “Y-you’re struggling to tell Lidelle, and I-I’m struggling to tell A-Arle...so…” She then raised her hand, as if looking for a handshake. “...h-how about this: if you tell her, then I w-will, too...and the same goes the other way around?”

Raffina paused a bit, considering the offer. Then, she let out a smile of her own as she accepted the handshake. “You know what? You’re pretty smart, Amitie. Deal. But you better hold the promise on your  
own end, as well!”

Risukuma just looked on with a grin of his own. “Heheheh...I see you’ve both come up on something. Well, what can I do but wish you both luck?”

“Thanks, Risu. But if I’m right, neither of us will need it.” Raffina responded.

“Right, right.” Risukuma nodded. “Now, I have some more studying to do...do you both have something else to do, as well?”

“Oh, right! I wonder what the other group is doing now.” Raffina said in realization as she pulled out her phone.

* * *

GGdSCI: **@FloweryDresses @RosieRedHearts** You two are taking a long time. Just so you know, we’re heading to the forest lake now - we’re visiting Serilly.

* * *

“Ah, the lake? I...actually haven’t been there…” Amitie muttered.

“Well, we could both go see it!” Raffina stated. “Well, we’ll be going now. Thanks for the pep talk, Risu!”

“Anytime.” The scientist in question said with a chuckle.

“Alright, Raffina! Let’s go!” Amitie said cheerfully, and once more, the two were off.

* * *

“...so...how do you feel about your crush on Arle now?” Raffina stated teasingly once they both found themselves outside the library.

“...I feel...much better about it, actually.” Amitie said with a sigh. “I guess there’s no denying it now...I’m...in love with A-Arle…”

“Ahahaha...glad to hear it, Amitie.” The pink-haired girl said with a smile and a small blush. “And I...I’m in love with Lidelle. I’ve already accepted it, but now...I might actually have to tell her…”

“Hey, Raffina, on the bright side?” Amitie stated. “At least we’re both being embarrassed rather than it just being you.”

Raffina paused, then chuckled briefly. “Heh...guess you’re right. Together, then?”

Amitie nodded confidently in response. “Together.”

And with that, they were off to the lake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And like that, Raffidelle has been fully confirmed, but not canonized. And yes, more teasing for Arlemitie, since that's really the focus here.
> 
> Risukuma has appeared as I promised, and...he's human. Believe it or not, this WILL be plot relevant later. How? Well...it might be pretty obvious to some of you already, but how about we wait and see?
> 
> Next chapter may be a bit short, so I'm thinking of posting it early to make up for the length. We'll see, though. See you then.


	17. Chapter 16: New World, New Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meanwhile, back at Dapper's, those from the other world get their change of clothing.

“Ah! There you all are!” Rulue said, finally catching up to the group outside the candy store. “And...where would Raffina be?”

“She went off to talk with Amitie about...something. Not sure what.” Klug answered with a shrug. “Anyways, we’re all heading to Dapper’s boutique now. Are you coming with us?”

“Ho ho ho...of course! I have checked a few other boutiques in town, but none of them had clothing that interested me…” The fighting queen said with a scoff. “I shall see if a skeleton turns out to have the best fashion sense in town~”

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**  
**Chapter 16: New World, New Us**

* * *

“Alright...I’m ready!” 

The chipper voice of Arle broke through from the changing room at Dapper’s. The new residents had decided to go with their get-up changes one by one, out of consideration for Oshare essentially being the only person there to advise them, if nothing else. And with that, the knight from another dimension opened the door, revealing her new look.

It actually wasn’t much different from before - she still had a white shirt and blue skirt, though the blue was much darker now. She also had fingerless gloves in the same color as her skirt. Her armor also had an improved look - instead of her breastplate only covering one half of her, she now had a full breastplate, including shoulder pads.

“Guuuuuuu!” Carbuncle cheered at Arle’s new look.

“Heheh, thanks, Carby! I love this look as well!” Arle said happily.

“You know, I’m still surprised that you actually have armor here, Dapper.” Klug commented.

“Well, renaissance fairs are a thing, after all. You have to know to cater to your customers!” The skeleton explained. “Though...the armor does look nice, but I wouldn’t exactly recommend wearing it daily, young miss.”

“Hehe...guess you’re right…” Arle said, slightly sheepish, as she took off said armor, leaving a sleeveless shirt exposed.

“Alright...and who shall be my next customer?” Dapper then asked, looking around the room.

“Oh! Oh! Me next! Me next!” Witch shouted, waving her hands enthusiastically.

“Hahaha! Alright, young miss! Let’s see what would work for you…”

* * *

Witch’s new clothes were entirely different from her old one.

For one, her little witch cap was entirely gone, fully exposing her blonde hair. She also switched out her dress entirely - instead, she now wore a dark green, casual-looking t-shirt, and that was covered by a dark blue, short-sleeved leather jacket. She was also dressed in a pair of short, black jeans.

“Wow...Wicchi, I didn’t expect that look from you…” Colette commented, noting how drastically changed Witch looked from her old witch uniform.

“Heeheehee...honestly, I never liked the witch uniform we all had to wear. So strict…” Witch said with a sudden indignant expression. And just as quickly, the expression changed into one of joy. “This fits me way better!”

“Heh...I’m not judging! You do look good in that!” Colette said cheerfully.

“Hahaha...some people truly do look better with a casual look!” Dapper commented.

“Ho ho ho...Mr. Dapper, was it?” Rulue suddenly spoke. “If you do not mind, I would like to go next...I trust that you can come up with something elegant for me?~”

“Ah...of course, miss! I can already tell your style from your personality...allow me, then!”

* * *

Rulue stepped out of the dressing room to the awe of most of the people in the boutique.

Her new clothes really were elegant - white cloth wrapped around her chest, and a white corset covered her torso, which emphasized her curves. Meanwhile, a long, open skirt covered her legs, and elaborate leggings wrapped them nearly up to her knee. This was complemented by her already existing high heel shoes, which made her look utterly glamorous.

“...wow…” Lidelle whispered at the sight.

“Heh. Either Raffina or her mother would really like that look…” Klug commented. “You know, them being all rich and fancy…”

“...wow!” Dapper simply exclaimed. “You look gorgeous, miss! I knew I made the right choices!”

“Ho ho ho...thank you for the compliments, everyone!” Rulue said, laughing haughtily. “You indeed did a good job, Mr. Dapper...you may have gotten yourself a new regular customer~”

“Hahaha! I’m glad to hear that!” The skeleton said gleefully. “And next up would be…?

There was a pause - as it was, only Schezo and Ragnus remained.

“I...would like to think that the only things keeping my clothes from being casual are my boots…” Schezo commented.

“That’s very fair. I could recommend something for your cape as well if you wish, but as for shoes...you’ll have to find some other place, I’m afraid.” Dapper said with a nod. “You, then, young mister?”

“...do you even have clothes my size?” The currently young Ragnus said.

“I do, actually!” Confirmed the skeletal fashionista. “As infrequent as it is, I do get child customers from time to time...and as with the armor I have stockpiled, I have to cater to every possible customer! But, well…” He then took on a mildly worried expression. “...you have been cursed into this state, yes? What would happen to them when you go back to your regular size? Would you need new clothes then as well?”

“No, my clothes resize with me, thankfully.” Ragnus said with a sigh. “Otherwise, my armor would be an utter pain…”

“I see, I see.” Dapper said with a nod. “Let’s see what I can get you, then…”

* * *

Unfortunately, they couldn't find anything good for Ragnus's current size.

He did, however, grab something pretty good looking - a surprisingly fancy two-piece suit, with gold trims adorning both the shirt along the wrist and neck, and the legwear near his ankles. He also retained his gold headband.

Surprisingly enough, he also seemed a year older than before as well.

“Hmph. Already recovering from that, light warrior?” Schezo snarked.

“Hah! You bet, dark mage!” Ragnus said with an almost uncharacteristic cocky smile. “These clothes make me feel quite confident already, even if I'm not wearing them!”

“Tch.” The dark mage just scoffed in response.

“Ah, it's a shame that you can't wear it just yet. I'm sure you'd look gorgeous in it!" Dapper stated. "Ah well! Will that be all, my good customers?”

Said customers all responded in the affirmative. “Yep!” “Yeah!” “Mmhmm~” “Of course!”

“And I assume you have brought money to pay for them?” Dapper continued.

The customers brought up the cash they had prepared in response.

“Very well! Time for checkout, then!”

* * *

And with that, nearly everyone walked out of the boutique happily. All of the customers had opted to change into their new clothes right away, so their old ones - armor included - were now being carried in plastic bags that they had all decided would be best safely kept somewhere first. Thus, Lidelle and Colette were off playing delivery girls for the rest of the group. That left the remaining ones to wait near the front of the store.

“You know, I gotta admit…” Arle spoke up, trying to strike up idle conversation. “I do like my old clothes, but this is a nice change of pace.”

“Gugu gugu!” Carbuncle suddenly piped up. No one but Arle knew what it meant, but judging from how Arle’s smile widened, it seemed to be something positive.

“I agree as well. This…” Ragnus piped up, feeling his new uniform. “...should be quite a nice change from wearing my armor all the time.”

“Hohoho...this IS quite a fancy getup…” Rulue commented joyfully.

“I...am glad you all are enjoying your new clothing.” Schezo then said, firmly still in his old clothes...save for the cape, which he had decided to remove.

“Siiiiig! Why do you keep doing thiiiiiis!?” And just like that, the group was interrupted by Klug, dragging Sig out of the boutique by the arm.

“...was sleepy…” The blue boy said quietly.

Klug just shook his head in response. “I still don’t understand how you manage to keep yourself standing when you fall asleep…”

Sig didn’t respond to that.

“Ugh...anyways, are Raffina and Amitie still not back?” Klug then asked the group.

“I have not seen them back yet, no.” Ragnus answered.

“Ah, hell...well, we’ll be heading to the lake once Lidelle and Colette comes back, right? I better tell them right now that we’re going…” Klug said as he picked up his phone and began to type.

* * *

GGdSCI: **@FloweryDresses @RosieRedHearts** You two are taking a long time. Just so you know, we’re heading to the forest lake now - we’re visiting Serilly.

* * *

“It’s been quite a while since I last saw her...I wonder how she’s doing?” Arle mused quietly.

“Arle...you’re sure that your presence will be enough for her to NOT splash water at us again, right?” The purple boy then asked, still remembering his first meeting with the mermaid.

“Of course!” Arle affirmed. “She recognizes me as a friend, it’ll be fine!”

“I’ll...take your word for it…” Klug said, obviously still wary despite the girl’s confidence.

“Hey guys! We’re back!” And almost on cue, Colette and Lidelle arrived once more.

“Ah, you guys are done! Well, are we ready to depart for the lake?” Klug asked.

“Y-yep!” Lidelle said. “T-though it’s a bit disappointing that Raffina still i-isn’t here…”

“Yeah...it’s disappointing that Amitie still isn’t back, as well…” Arle commented.

At that, the green girl and the knight looked at each other with a curious expression on each of their faces. They both said nothing further, though.

“Alright, well, I told them where we’ll be. They’ll catch up to us soon. Now then, let’s go!” Klug said, then he turned to Sig. “And you too, bug boy!”

“...m’not sleeping this time…” Sig said, though he still sounded tired. Regardless, he followed everyone else as they headed to their next destination.

**To be continued**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a short, semi-filler chapter. Not early as I said last week, unfortunately. Sorry.
> 
> Now, let's talk costume references:  
Arle's new look is based on [her Puyo Puyo~n appearance](https://puyonexus.com/mediawiki/images/1/11/Character_Arle_PuyoPuyon.png), without the armor or cape.  
Witch's appearance is mostly original, but it took some inspiration from [this artwork of her and Draco](https://puyonexus.com/mediawiki/images/d/d3/StartWithTheWordLetsGo.png).  
Rulue's appearance is actually based on fanart - specifically, it's a combination of [ this one](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/603676923289403407/639874587076853800/illust_54317308_20190304_152758.png) and [this one](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/623795983788277770/623839032878694437/illust_47464983_20190524_194747.png). Source for the first one is unknown, unfortunately, but the second one is by @rito0520 on Twitter.  
Finally, Ragnus's appearance (once he actually gets to wear the thing, that is) is based on [his ver. Ichiro Ogami appearance from Puyo Puyo Quest](https://puyonexus.com/mediawiki/images/b/b0/Img523206_l.png).  
Schezo unfortunately does not get a new look save for removal of his cape and potentially armor, mostly because I...can't find anything good for him in casual clothing.
> 
> Nothing else to say here. See you next chapter.


	18. Chapter 17: Blue Scales, Red Feathers, Golden Wings

“Oh, by the way, those eyes in chat? They were us teasing Klug about a potential crush on Sig.” Raffina finally explained to Amitie.

“W-w-w-w-w-w-wha-!? Does he-!?” Amitie said, obviously in shock.

“To be honest? Probably not. It’s just fun to make fun of him, though.” Raffina said with a smirk.

Meanwhile, Klug suddenly sneezed loudly.

“Klug? You okay?” Sig asked the purple boy.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine...I don’t know where that came from…” Klug said as he continued to walk.

Sig just shrugged and followed.

* * *

**Tales from Primp Town**   
**Chapter 17: Blue Scales, Red Feathers, Golden Wings**

* * *

“And...here we are.” Klug said as their little party arrived at a clearing in the forest. Of course, in front of them was the massive lake that Klug found Serilly in.

“I-it’s been a bit since I was last here…” Lidelle commented.

“Now...Arle? Do the thing you said you would do, please?” Klug then said to Arle, his tone almost pleading.

“Alright, alright, I wasn’t gonna _not_ do it…” Arle said with a chuckle. Then, she went in front of the group, put her hands up in a cone in front of her mouth, and shouted. “Hey, Serilly! It’s me, Arle! I brought some friends with me!”

There was a brief period of silence...before the familiar blue mermaid popped out from beneath the water with a smile, swimming towards the party.

“A-Arle! You’re here!” Serilly said, sounding genuinely gleeful. “I...w-with what that voice said, I thought you…!”

“Yeah, I honestly don’t know how I made it here, either…” Arle said, her expression saddening just a tiny bit. “But I’m here now. And rest assured, none of these people are gonna eat you!”

“A-ah! Y-you’re...you’re Klug, right?” Serilly then said, recognizing the purple boy that first greeted her. “I-I’m sorry for splashing you...I-I get nervous really easily…”

“It’s fine…” Klug said. He was still mildly annoyed, but really, he’d already forgiven the mermaid.

“H-hey, Serilly…” Lidelle then shyly greeted.

“Um...h-hello!” Serilly said, surprised by the greeting. “W-who are you?”

“M-my name is Lidelle...it’s n-nice to meet you!” Lidelle said, extending her hand out to the water.

Serilly paused with a surprised expression on her face...then slowly, that expression morphed into a smile as she gladly accepted the handshake. “I-it’s nice to meet you too, Lidelle! M-my name is Serilly, a-as you might already know!”

There was a pause as Klug took in the scene in front of him. _Huh, now that I’m seeing it, those two are actually pretty similar in personality…_

“O-oh, and…” The mermaid then spoke, turning her attention to the rest of the frankly massive group. “...w-who might all of you b-be?”

And once more, they went through the usual round of introductions.

* * *

“I see…” Serilly mused. “Well, it’s n-nice to meet you, e-everyone!”

“So, Serilly!” Arle then spoke up. “How’ve you been? Has this lake been treating you well? Did you find anyone else?”

“U-u-um, one question at a time, please, A-Arle!” Serilly said nervously.

“Oh, right, right. One at a time, then?” Arle said, nodding.

“W-well, this lake has been pretty nice!” Serilly began, now smiling again. “I’ve been swimming around and t-taking in my new surroundings...I even got out of the lake and e-explored the forest for a bit. I-it’s quite serene, actually!” She then offered her hand out to Arle. “S-speaking of, do you want to j-join me? The water’s fine!”

“Heheheh, thanks, but I didn’t prepare myself for swimming today, Serilly.” The knight girl said with a chuckle. “Now, for the second question...did you run into anyone else around here?”

“Y-yes, actually!” Serilly responded. “One of them has been h-helping me get things from the t-town that I’m nearby...P-Primp, was it?”

“Yep, Primp is right!” Colette helpfully added.

“Oh? And who would that be?” Arle asked curiously.

“Heheh...that would be me~” Said a new voice, coming from behind some trees. Arle seemed to light up in recognition as she turned towards the voice, and she lit up even more upon seeing who it is.

Standing there was a girl with massive, red ponytails and a red and yellow dress that seemed to be slightly tattered. She wore odd, primitive-looking leather sandals, was holding a staff, and had a red and yellow headband wrapped around her head, along with a few feathers sticking out of it.

“C-Chico!” Arle yelled as she ran closer to the girl. “Dang, it’s been forever since I last saw you! How have you been?”

At that question, though, Chico’s expression darkened. “Frankly...it has not been the best. After the portals incident, I...am not sure whether my family made it through, as well...I was fortunate that a portal appeared near the sanctuary, but the rest of them were out gathering resources, and...”

Arle immediately lost her chipper expression at that. “O-oh. I...I’m sorry, Chico.”

Chico shook her head before speaking. “It’s quite alright. I’ve...taken up new duties in helping Serilly, here. It has been keeping my mind off things.”

“I see…” Arle nodded in understanding.

“Um...Arle? Who is this?” Schezo suddenly asked.

“Ah, right. Everyone, this is Chico.” Arle said, introducing the girl to everyone else. “I ran across her during one of my adventures. She was guarding a sanctuary that I needed to pass to find Carbuncle…”

“And due to her description of the gem on his head, I...mistook her for a thief trying to steal a gem from the sanctuary…” Chico said as she laughed sheepishly, recalling the encounter. “That’s why our first encounter ended in a battle. One she won, of course.”

“G-gu gu?” Carbuncle suddenly said, confused.

“Oh, right. I...haven’t told you the full story yet, have I, Carby?” Arle said in realization. “Well, I can catch you up on what you missed later.”

“Gugu gu!” Carbuncle chirped.

“Ah, so this is the Carbuncle you were referring to…” Chico said, approaching the rabbit creature carefully. Once she got close enough, she began to rub Carbuncle’s head gently, making him squeak. “You have quite a unique appearance.”

“G-gu…” Carbuncle just said, seeming unsure whether to feel happy about the head rub or not. He always appreciated head rubs, but not from strangers...but she seemed friendly enough, so he guessed it was alright.

But then, they were suddenly interrupted by two girls entering the scene as well.

“Oh, Raffina! Amitie! You’re here!” Colette greeted the both of them.

“Yeah, sorry for taking so long, guys! We had a bit of a hold-up, ahaha…” Raffina said sheepishly.

“R-Raffina!” Lidelle said, suddenly hugging Raffina again.

There was yet another pause as Raffina seemed slightly uncomfortable...but surprisingly, instead of pushing Lidelle away like normal, Raffina gently hugged the green girl back. “Hey, Lidelle. Sorry for taking so long.”

Lidelle just squeaked happily in response, not expecting the hug.

“A-Amitie! You’re back!” Meanwhile, Arle was equally happily running towards the red girl.

“Arle! Sorry for being late!” Amitie said, and the two girls promptly grabbed each other in a hug.

...which was quickly broken off by themselves as they realized what they were doing, both of them blushing profusely. However, both of them had slightly different thoughts about the situation.

_G-get real, me...I just came to terms with my crush on her earlier!_ Amitie thought, admonishing herself. _C-can I calm down already!?_

Meanwhile, Arle’s thoughts were more along the lines of confusion. _T-there’s that feeling again...I like it, but it just feels so embarrassing…! What is this!?_

Raffina, noticing the scene, just grinned quietly, winking at Amitie. Amitie noticed the wink and just stuck out her tongue at the yellow girl.

“Ahem, if I may?” Suddenly, Ragnus decided to speak up. “Excuse me for interrupting, but Serilly stated that Chico here was “one of” the people she found. Does that mean there is another person here, as well?”

“Y-yes, there is!” Serilly said. “S-she’s one of my close f-friends, as well…”

“Huh. And that would be-” Arle began to speak…

...but was promptly interrupted by the answer, in the form of a girl dropping from some trees nearby.

Said girl was dressed in an all-white dress, had pink hair, and had golden wings growing out of her back. And once again, Arle lit up in recognition almost immediately.

“Harpy!? You’re here, too!?” She yelled at the winged girl.

“Of course!” Harpy said, her voice chipper. “The voice sounded scary, so I dived into the nearest por...p...glowy door as fast as I could! And then after a bit I ran into Serilly and Chico! It’s really cool!”  
“Ah, still the same as ever, I see…” Arle said, shaking her head with a smile.

“And who are these people? I think I heard you int...intro...talk about yourselves to Serilly. You’re...Schezo, right?” She said, turning to a young light warrior that was decidedly not Schezo.

“...my name is Ragnus, miss.” Ragnus said, exasperated that he could even be mistaken for the dark mage, somehow. _At least I didn’t grow younger again from that…_ He thought quietly.

And thus, for the second time that day, they had another round of introductions.

* * *

“Alright, then! Nice to meet you, everyone!” Harpy said cheerfully at the end of it. “I am Harpy, and I love singing! Would you like to hear me?”

Amitie began speaking… “Oh, singing? That sounds nic-”

...but was promptly interrupted by a shouting Arle. “DON’T DO IT!”

“Wait, wha-why?” Amitie asked Arle.

“Amitie...you do not want to hear her sing! Believe me!” Arle said, almost in a panic.

“Aw, come on, Arle! I’m not that bad anymore! Here, let me show you anyways!” Harpy said indignantly, before taking a deep breath.

“Oh no! EVERYONE, COVER YOUR EARS!” Arle said, doing so...and turning out to be the only one who obeyed. And thus, Harpy began to sing…

...and surprisingly, it wasn’t an ear-destroying cacophony.

Upon noticing that everyone else seemed quite absorbed in the singing, Arle slowly took her hands off her ears and listened...and she had to admit, it was actually quite nice. It was a stark contrast to when she last heard the winged girl sing - it was enough to make her fight Harpy just to make it stop. Well, it was far from perfect - she sung a few off key notes here and there, but overall, it wasn’t horrible to listen to. She could even see a few of the others - Serilly, most notably - swaying to the music. Even Sig, who seemed to be distracted by some bugs nearby, was swaying slightly - and she swore that even that little ladybug on his head was moving to the beat, somehow.

And then, eventually, the angel finished her song.

There was a small round of applause from most of the people around. Notably, Serilly was quite excited by the end. “T-that was amazing, Harpy!”

“Hehehe, thanks, Serilly!” Harpy said cheerfully. Somehow, that caused the mermaid to turn away and blush.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad, Arle!” Amitie commented.

“Y-yeah...but the last time I heard her sing, it was like a spike straight into my ears, and I’m only slightly exaggerating…” Arle said sheepishly. “But you’ve definitely gotten better since last time, Harpy.”

“Hehe, thanks, Arle! I’ve been practicing!” Harpy said. “It’s mostly Serilly who listened to me and help me imp...impr...get better!”

“Y-you’re welcome, Harpy…” Serilly said meekly. She seemed to be blushing quite hard as well.

Raffina noticed, but given that Serilly is quite shy, she decided that just this once, she wouldn’t tease her over it. She wouldn’t tease Lidelle either, after all...even if part of it was because Lidelle’s likely crush was on herself. So, she just grinned quietly at the whole thing. _So much love going around today…_

“A-ahem.” Klug then spoke suddenly. “The singing was nice, but if I may...Chico, you said you were helping these two out?”

“Yes. I actually heard about those who came from the portals that found a place to rest on a billboard, after...well, accidentally wandering into the town, really.” Chico explained. “Thus, I asked around, and I was eventually led to Akuma, who helped me with the rest.”

“Ah...so, you’ve got a residency with him already.” Klug said, adjusting his glasses slightly. “What about Harpy, though?”

“I actually met both of them before I entered the town, so I told him about Harpy as well. She has been handled.” The guardian girl said with a chuckle.

“I see…” Klug said, nodding in understanding. “...wait. How have you been...helping them, then?”

“Well, it is a town, is it not?” Chico said. “Since Serilly can’t stay out of the water for long, and Harpy wouldn’t go anywhere too far from Serilly right now-” That statement was inadvertently punctuated by Harpy nearly tackling Serilly in a hug. “-I’ve decided that I’ll...be their caretaker, for lack of a better word. Thus, I’m currently looking for a job, myself, so that I can purchase goods for the both of them. Until then, though, I’ve just been scavenging in the forest for fruits and such for all of us.”

“Hey, Chicoooo?” Harpy suddenly called out. “Can we get some more fruits? I’m getting hungryyyyyy!”

“...case in point.” Chico said with another chuckle. “Very well, Harpy...I suppose I’ll need to be going now, then. It has been nice knowing you all.”

Everyone then bid her farewell as she went back into the forest.

“Well, it was nice meeting you both again, Serilly and Harpy!” Arle then said to the two remaining girls. “But, well...we all have other things to do, as well. I’ll be visiting again later!”

“A-alright! See you later, then, e-everyone!” Serilly said, waving to the group.

“Bye, Arle!” Harpy said, waving quickly as well.

“Alright, let’s go, then, everyone!” Arle then said as she led everyone out.

“...Sig, they’re heading out now! Let’s go!” Klug then shouted at Sig, who seemed to be distracted by some bugs again.

“...lots of bugs in the forest. They’re cute.” Sig whispered.

“...well, um, do you wanna stay here for now?” The purple boy asked.

“...nah. Wanna go with you, glasses.” The blue boy said.

“...glasses? Where’d that nickname for me come from, bug boy?” Klug questioned.

“Iunno. You wear glasses. Makes you look cute.” Sig said simply.

_...wait. Did he just call me cute?_ Klug thought, but he quickly shook the thought off. “Well, let’s go then, bug boy. I have to take Schezo around town, still.”

And with that, they both tagged behind the group.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so I've gone dead air on this fic for a good while, huh?
> 
> I'll be honest - the problem right now is...I really wanna do over this fic from scratch. The more I'm thinking about it, the more awkward I'm finding these early chapters, and that'll honestly kill the pacing for my future plans, too. There's also a LOT of mistakes that I want to fix.
> 
> However, if I do...the rewrite will be VERY different from how I have it right now. For example, many plot points will be changed, some characters will have better characterization, some characters will be removed outright for pacing's sake, so on, so forth. 
> 
> The most important thing, though, is that I'm planning to retool the fic from a total alternate universe to...a "modification" of canon, of sorts. To be clear on what I mean by that, you can see right now that this fic basically has its own canon, not really following the storyline of the games at all. I'd like to change that - the rewrite will be more of a canon divergence fic, where canon events still happen, but with various changes and additions done to it. This mostly came from me developing many, MANY more headcanons for a lot of characters over time that just wouldn't fit in this fic the way it is.
> 
> Either way, unfortunately, the plan is to have this be the last chapter of THIS particular fic and start a new one some time later. I might delete this fic as well, since I'll probably see this as a "prototype" to what I really wanna do.
> 
> I guess that's it for now. See you next time.


End file.
